Captured Soul
by Rasberries
Summary: Complete! A/U This is a prelude to my other story, Captive Soul. Rated R for Language, Violence and Adult content. A story of Sesshomaru and how he became a slave . Warning, will be Dark.
1. Default Chapter

Hi, Ras here. A few words to tell you about this story. This is a prelude to my other story Captive Soul which I have already started. This story will tell how Sesshomaru came to be a slave. 

Warning. 

This story will be dark. A telling of how a powerful demon such as Sesshomaru was taken and almost literally broken to the point of non existance. I felt that this would be an asset to help understand Captive Soul to a better extent. Now, on to the story. 

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inyasha or any of its characters 

Chapter One: Trapped 

The last rays of the golden sunlight spilled into the clouds overhanging the horizon, creating cottony puffs of crimson, and yellowy orange. 

As the crisp night wind splashed across his face and fluttered through his silver hair, Sesshomaru flew above the trees, diligently patrolling his fathers borders for any sign of rogue youkai. 

He outwardly cursed. This was supposed to be Inuyasha's job, but the mutt ran off on some wild goose chase involving the myth of a sacred jewel protected by youkai exterminators. 

'The Fool' he thought with disdain and disappointment. 'Can't accept the fact he is a hanyou, always trying to become a full demon, even when father implores him to embrace his human blood.' 

"Humans...hmph.....scourge....I will never see in them what my father saw in that human he called his mate." 

And now, with his father away on some diplomatic mission, he was left alone with the sole duty of watching out for invaders. 

Alighting on the soft earth, the inu youkai prince sniffed the air, but found no traces of any threat. 

Sesshomaru peered up through the trees to the now emerging starlight. 

Why? Why had his father presented his half breed of a brother with such a powerful fang and given him, his first born and full demon son, a worthless weapon used only for healing? 

It made no sense. 

He was the heir. He should have been given the honor of brandishing his father's fang which held the capacity to kill a hundred youkai in one stroke. 

But his sire gave the power of destruction to his half brother instead. 

Inuyasha carried the love for humans, not he. He would rather die than help heal a human or any other creature. 

He unsheathed the Tenseiga and stared at the metal reflecting the tiny pinpoints of light. His tone mildly dry. "Worthless." 

After returning the sword to his side, he then pulled out Tojkin. 

Father had been quite vexed with him when he had commissioned the sword to be made out of the demon fang that broke the Tetsusaiga in two. 

That battle had nearly driven Inuyasha insane. 

His half brother's precious sword had been broken during the fight. 

And with Tetsusaiga gone, the shield restraining Inuyasha's demon blood had shattered. 

It reduced Inuyasha into a cold blooded killer, his half human mind too fragile to control his demon blood's rage. 

His father had to contain Inuyasha until the Tetsusaiga could be fixed. 

But now he, Sesshomaru, owned a weapon as powerful, if not more powerful, than Tetsusaiga. 

And the inu youkai itched to try his new blade out on a warranted foe. 

With luck, on this very evening, he may get the chance to test his blade. 

As he made his way along the edge of his fathers lands, he spied the border to the south. 

Father had given him explicit instructions not to venture into the the high mountainous terrain of the south, warning of unknown dangers that may be too perilous to meddle with. 

But he, Sesshomaru, held Tojkin. Nothing could or would stand a chance against him. 

His wish for a worthy opponent may yet be granted . 

Without a second thought, he took an arrogant step forward, crossing over into the southern lands. 

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Everything became quiet; no birds, no insects, no wind. 

This in itself, began to unnerve the inu youkai. If a danger lurked nearby, there would be no warning from nature what so ever. 

He would have to depend solely on his sharp canine senses. 

Pitch Black ebbed through out the forested land, bringing the errie silence with it. 

The putrid smell of damp earth and decaying moss stung his nose. 

He stopped.. 

A spark of fear seeped up from his instincts. 

Then he became angry. 

He, Sesshomaru, would not fear darkness or anything in that darkness. 

HE was the heir to the Western Lands. 

Royal blood flowed in his veins. 

Fear...would not rule over one such as he. 

EVER 

And to prove that very point, he strolled further into the blackening abyss of the mountains. 

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From out of the wooded undergrowth came a fierce scream. 

Sesshomaru crouched low to the ground, a feral tint lining his features. 

It had sounded like a feline youkai. A very large panther demon to be precise. 

His prey had presented itself. 

The shrill caterwall echoed in the night while heavy crashing footfalls resounded closer. 

He smiled. 

The youkai must be enormous and it was definitely headed in his direction. 

Sesshomaru held tight to Tojkin, ready for battle. 

But then he sensed the panther demon change strides, moving in the opposite direction. 

'Damn, must have caught my scent.' 

"No, damnit!" he cursed. "You will not run away from this, Sesshomaru, so easily." 

Following the panther youkai's echoing footfalls, the dog demon bounded through the underbrush. 

The thrill of the hunt pounded in his blood. 

His senses crested with the rush of adrenaline. 

But so intent on his prey, the inu youkai did not notice the invisable barrier he unwittingly leapt through. 

Then... his intended target vanished from his senses without a trace. 

He stopped. 

Now he was confused. 

As he assessed the circling area to determine what had become of his quarry, he realized that everything had become deathly still. 

Irritated, Sesshomaru had had enough. 

He put Tojkin back in it's sheath. 

Just as his feet left the earth to rise and return to his fathers lands, a bright light engulfed him instantly. 

Then his head hit something. 

He dropped. 

He was surrounded by metal; black, shiny, strange. 

Flexing his claws, he slashed at the bars in front of him, only to receive a shock that sent him flying backwards. 

Sitting up in a crouch, he surveyed the enclosure. 

Bars on one side and solid, seamless metal on the other five sides of this.....trap. 

He smirked. 

Someone or something believed they could ensnare and hold him. 

It was most amusing. 

Standing to his full height, The demon summoned the power to crack his energy whip. 

Nothing happened. 

This _trap_ was ensorcelled, containing his demonic energy. But only a monk or very powerful miko had the power for such an enchantment. 

He was becoming angry. 

No one caged him. 

Poison dripped from his extended claws. He then sprayed the noxious liquid on the wall to his right. 

The toxic secretion bubbled and hissed only to fall and evaporate on the black metal floor. 

No damage had been done. 

Even an attempt to turn into an orb of light was thwarted because of the sealing. 

Tojkin. 

He brought out the sword, weilding it in his right hand. Raising the fang, he sliced at the bars before him. 

Not a scratch. 

That was it! 

With his anger boiling up inside him, scarlet flooded the whites of his eyes. 

He would transform and bust out of this damned prison. 

But something in him cried out and he halted his transformation. 

What if.....the metal did not budge. His giant dog form would be crushed ....breaking every bone in his body. 

Probably enough damage to actually kill him. 

The seriousness of the situation became apparent. 

He now knew that this entrapment was designed specifically for dangerous youkai. 

No.

He had to wait. 

Someone would come soon to check up on their trap. 

And then, he would kill whoever dared to keep him pinned up like an animal. 

Kill them slowly. 

And to emphasize his mental statement, he cracked every knuckle while stretching out the sharp points at the end of each fingertip. 

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Ras here, please review. I like feedback. It helps me not to make to many errors. Thanks to all who read and like! 

Oh ,and author's note. Chapter 14 of Captive Soul will be posted Sunday night. Ja ne! 

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	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. 

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Chapter two: Enter the trapper 

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The cool evening air drifted in through the bars that stood about five feet in front of him. 

He shivered as the cold metal beneath his backside chilled him to the bone. 

The youkai rested his head on his knees. 

It had been ten days. And dusk had fallen again. 

But it mattered not. The days in this accursed forest were almost as black as the nights. 

And both just as dead. 

Sesshomaru lifted his head and spotted the twinkle of the first star of twilight, almost hidden by the branches of an old oak. 

It would soon be joined by its eternal celestial companions. 

While he remained alone. 

After the first five days, the demon's anger had diminished, leaving him with a cool head to think. 

When the ninth day had arrived, he began to worry. 

Now, on the sunset of the tenth day, the need for survival took presedence. 

What if no one came? 

Would he die here? 

Die of starvation? 

But no....he would die from lack of water first. 

Licking his dry lips, he almost wished for rain. But the ever cloudless sky only stared back at him with harsh cruelty. 

Why would someone set a trap and not check on it? 

What would be the purpose if they never came back for whatever they had wanted to catch? 

The thought crossed his mind that this may be a forgotten snare. 

But with magic this powerful and fresh, it had to be set recently. 

Whoever it may be could turn out to be a deadly enemy, one that would have no trouble with a dangerous demon such as himself. 

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Sesshomaru heard the faint rustle of parting underbrush. 

He stood....and waited, then picked up the sound of human footsteps along with the padding of a feline gate. 

An unknown source of light invaded the clearing beyond the cage. 

A figure in a long dark cloak emerged from the bushes. 

Behind it trailed a black panther, it's carnal yellow eyes reflecting the shallow light. 

The inu youkai eased closer to the black metal bars. 

The hooded figure turned in his direction then stopped about ten feet in front of him. 

A hand snaked out and stroked the black cat's ears. 

From under the dark hood came a soft female voice. 

"Well, well. Look what we have caught, Shi'an. I never believed we would have the pleasure of catching such a royal treat." 

The panther growled. 

"Now, now, Shi'an. Is that the way to greet our honored guest?" 

The figure pulled the hood back to reveal a shockingly beautiful young woman. 

Her gypsy like features glowing under her long, obsidian hair. 

She reaked with the scent of magic and herbs....a miko. 

She smiled at him. "Forgive me lord Sesshomaru, I came as soon as Shi'an informed me of your predicament. But I shall not keep you waiting much longer, I have other ...... appointments.... that need my immediate attention." 

Sesshomaru stepped up to the bars, his stoic features revealing nothing . "You will release me....now." 

The female sighed and turned away. "I....am afraid that is not possible...I do not purposely go out hunting youkai. But if any demon should happen to fall into one of my....traps. Then they become, rightfully mine. You now belong to me." 

Sesshomaru stood very still. "I belong to no one." 

She chuckled and stopped before a clean cut tree stump. 

Sesshomaru watched the miko with contempt. 'Bitch.' 

The young woman looked over to him. "My, my.... what colorful language. But I guess that would be a compliment coming from a dog demon." 

The youkai blinked. ' Telepath? ' 

"Oh, yes." She half smiled. "I can read all demon's minds who are near...... A gift, bestowed on me, to aid in my....work." 

She then frowned. "But sometimes it is more of a curse. Demons have such.....twisted thoughts." 

Sesshomaru tried to push the uneasy feeling in his gut away. "Who are you?" 

She grinned widely then turned back to the flat tree stump before her. From out of her robe she pulled out what appeared to be a small wooden treasure box. 

It was covered in glittering gems. 

She gave a short bark of laughter. "I have been called many things in my life. To you, in this time , I am a miko since I have the same powers as one. But considering your education you should know exactly who and what I am." 

She offhandedly glanced at him with a smirk. "Don't tell me those tutors of yours haven't told you about me." 

The woman sighed. "I am so disappointed." 

Sesshomaru swallowed and took a step back. 

The pieces were falling into place. 

Her scent; ancient and full of natural magic. 

The box; small, wooden, jeweled, timeless. 

Her beauty; beyond any he had ever known, with the air of a greek goddess. 

A sinking blackness tugged at the back of his mind. 'It can not be....She is only a legend...a myth....a horror story to frighten little youkai pups.....No....It can not be..' 

The woman stroked the small wooden box she had placed on the tree stump. "Oh, so you _have_ heard of me." 

Her voice became wistful " This has been my task for centuries. Ever since I.... unintentionally set them all free..They bred, and spread, became a plague on mankind. Now I am left with the sole eternal purpose of putting them back." 

The young woman opened the lid and a blackish purple mist rose up from the depths of the wooden box. 

The smokey tendrels floated towards him. 

Sesshomaru backed up. 

His back hit metal. 

He was trapped. 

Bowing his head, he surrendered to his fate. "At least tell me the name of the one that brings my death and takes me from this mortal plane." 

Her feminine voice echoed in his ears as the mist engulfed him. 

"For what little time you have left, youkai, you may know me by my first given name." 

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"Pandora." 

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Hello, Ras here, I hope you all were entertained by this chapter. Sesshomaru may seem a little out of character here. But he had come upon something unknown. I didn't know how he would act in such a situation. If it seems to OOC please review and tell me. Thanks to all who read and like! Ras..... Reveiw resonses: 

Breshcandra: It won't be easy to explain, but I am taking a crack at it. He is very powerful so I had to find someone who was his opposite and be just as powerful. Did I do a good job? 

Laura: I don't think anyone will leave you that kind of flame. (Now watch me get one) anywho, I would like to see what you have written so far on the Sess/Rin. And I do like Kouga/ Kagome too. I think Inu and Kag have been done to death. I kinda got disenchanted with Inu when he picked Kikyo over Kagome anyway. Idiot dog! Hey I like the pen name.^_^. Rated R is good. I only wish my mind would work that way. everytime I try to do it something happens and it doesn't turn out that way. I am so strange. OH and about Captive soul. There won't be any lime until after Rin goes on the date with Naraku. You'll have to see why! ^_^. gotta go! hope you and your family is doing well too. Drop me a line. Ras. 

Sunflowerseed: no, it will not be a one shot...to your utter delight it will be about 10 to 15 chapters long. 

Shinoku:I update about once or twice a week on both. But writing both is taking major time. whew! Where do you get Pocky? I live in the U.S. and someone said that they don't sell it here. *sighs* 

Thanks to all the other's who reviewed! 

Blue demon 

sashlea 

fan of story 

Liza 

Tenshi no Yami 

My Reflection 

and inuficcrzy


	3. chapter 3

Hi, Ras here. A few notes on some of the questions I was asked in the reviews. Yes, this is Pandora. I had been wanting to use this idea for a looong time. I took her legend and tweaked it somewhat. I have seen too many pictures of Pandora opening up her fabled box and letting out demons. It was too much of a temptation not to use her. To all who don't know who pandora is. She is a greek myth. commisioned by Zeus,( king of the gods) and made out of clay. She was all gifted and as beautiful as aphrodite ( i think i spelled that right) Actually she was meant as a punishment on mankind for accepting the gift of fire. She was given a metal jeweled box by Hermes and told not to open it. But the coniving Hera, Zeus's sister and wife, gave Pandora curiosity. That sealed it. In time it got the better of Pandora and she eventually ended up opening the little treasure box. What she let out was winged lizard like creatures. They screamed and flapped about her head before escaping into the night. These creatures were the ills of mankind.:Spites, Disease, old age, famine and insanity and all things of this nature. The demons and evils of mankind. 

But Pandora slammed the box shut just before the most evil of these creatures escaped. 

It was forboding, the final spite. For man can live with all these evils and still hold on. But if that last creature had escaped then man would have been told what misfortune was to happen everyday of their lives. No hope would have been possible. There would have been an end to mankind. Man can bear endless trouble but he cannot live without hope. 

No one ever knew what happened to Pandora, some say she died, some say she went insane, other books say she just fainted away. 

In my story , Pandora is gifted and cursed in many ways. She is an ageless, powerful miko who accidentally set all the demons free in the first place. And for her eternal punishment she is to roam the lands putting them back in her little wooden box. Now you know this is an impossible task. She will never be able to finish. That is her curse. You will also notice that she is somewhat insane. (Being able to read all and any demon thoughts throughout centuries will do that to you.) 

Oh, and about Captive soul, I will post on Friday night or sooner. I already have chapter 17 mostly written. Just got to type it. 

Now on to the story. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. 

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Chapter 3 

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru waited for his end. 

He could feel the foreign mist slipping through his clothes and sliding over his skin. It covered him completely. 

It's putrid thickness crawled up into his nasal cavity and down his throat, sufficating him. 

His heart strained with the noxious invader, slowing with the lack of oxygen. 

Unable to stand, he fell to one knee. 

Then he opened his eyes and mouth in strangled shock. 

This miasma was a type of miko magic that sought not to purify him but to kill cleanly by taking his soul. 

It would steal his spirit and leave his body a hollow husk, porous enough to crumble and drift away with the first gust of wind. 

His essence would be sealed away forever in the miko's little wooden box. 

Even though his body fought against the tenacious onslaught of the penetrating mist, he knew the futility in resisting. 

This woman claimed to be the legend of terror. 

The famed reaper of demon souls. 

He had no chance. 

The deadly vapor continued its attack. It burned while reaching for the inner most part of him, his spirit. 

But just as he felt a violent tug on his soul, tenseiga pulsed at his side. 

Its vibration grew stronger as a black light erupted from the sword and cut through the offending mist, driving it away. 

The blackish purple miasma abated, returning to the place from whence it came. 

Still on one knee, he blinked. 

He was alive. 

Looking up, he spied the witch woman, staring at her little box of death, her finger resting lightly on its lid. 

A few moments passed. Then the woman spoke in a somewhat puzzled tone.."It seems my vessel will not take you, youkai... curious.....You are either protected in some way or.... maybe...as it happens from time to time....your soul is not black enough for the invitation." 

Slowly, she picked up her little treasure box then concealed it within her cloak. 

The miko then turned in his direction and strolled over to him. 

Her movements were sleek and balanced with the sway of her walk. 

The panther trailed behind her. He then caught a wiff of the cat. It was male and the miko's scent covered it. His lip rose up in a sneer of disgust as he stood and came out of the shadowed backdrop of his prison. 

The inu youkai watched in preditory observation as the raven haired woman stopped a mere five feet before the cage. 

He flexed his claws which were already dripping with poison. 

While trying to keep his angered demon blood from erupting, Sesshomaru kept his tone even and cold. "Since your little toy will not take me, then set me free." 

Her gaze fell on him. She remained silent as her dark eyes began inspecting him closely. She started at his face and hair then traveled over his body, stopping briefly on his weapons. Then her leer halted to just below his belt. 

Heat flashed across his face before her blatant sensual scrutiny. 

Her eyes shimmered with wicked want then moved to meet his gaze. 

Shaking her head, she replied. "No....I may have another use for you." 

The female then smiled lustfully at him. "I am in need of a ......servant...." 

Tilting her head slightly, the miko looked him over again. "Nice... very nice......I would enjoy having you as my.......pet." 

Rage filled him and his vision spotted crimson. 

With youkai speed he reached through the bars to slash at the bitch, caustic poison spraying from the tips of his claws. 

His sharp talons missed their target by inches as the bars held him back. 

The green poison only slid down against some unseen barrier to fall sizzling at the miko's feet. 

As Sesshomaru still shook with suppressed anger, he straightened and glared icily at the witch. 

She only smiled at him with carnal delight. 

Then the woman licked her lips. "What a temper, so wild, so feral, so much of the animal you are, demon dog....Yes.. taming you will be so much of a pleasure. I look forward to it." 

She sighed. "But I see you need time to....compose yourself. I will leave you for now, prince, and I shall return soon. But before I go, I will give you a gift to help you..realize...that resisting me would not be in your best interest." 

The smell of magic permeated the air as a crackling aura surrounded the miko. 

As she stepped closer to him, a spark ingnited in her eyes. 

When the miko moved within his reach, he chanced her energy and slashed out at her again with the intention of snatching her. 

This time his foolheardy action earned him a shock that knocked him back with such force that he smashed into the thick metal wall behind him. 

On impact he heard the sound of his armor cracking and the crunch of the bones in his right shoulder. 

As he fell to the hard cold floor he uttered angerly. "Damn Bitch!" 

While raising her hands which were now aglow with static power, the womans features blazed with the promise of unholy torment. Her voice then rose in rage. "No, Mutt! you are the one who is now damned!" 

Struggling, he tried to stand. His lungs labored, more than likely one was punctured. 

But then he found himself unable to move as he felt his body being lifted upwards. 

He floated, suspended in mid air. 

The demon glared with hatred at the witch. "Bitch! Put me down! Devil Witch! I will kill you slow......" His words were cut short as a powerful electric current shot through him. 

Razor sharp blades of white hot fire seared him from the inside out. 

His howls penetrated the dense lifeless forest. 

Then he felt himself falling. 

He dropped, slamming into the stone hard floor on his left side, the force of the fall breaking his left arm. 

He remained motionless, paralyzed by the intensity of the pain. 

While taking deep, tortured breaths, he lay there. The coppery taste of his own blood filled his mouth. 

He coughed once , splattering dark red lines across the shiny black metal. 

Groaning, he watched as the miko's aura dimmed while she lowered her hands. 

Without a word, she turned and left, the panther following. 

As he heard the departing rustle of the woman and her cat through the foliage, the strange light in the clearing died as well. 

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Hi all! I know. I know. Sesshomaru is in pretty hot water right now. I did say this story was going to be dark. In _many_ aspects. Now I know Sessy got pretty beat up in the process in this chapter, but you got to remember. The trap he is in also dampers his demonic ability at resistance to force and his ability to heal as well. In other words these abilites are cut somewhat in half or more than half. Comments? Questions? Please review. ^_^ I cannot see some things as cleary as you all do so other eyes are helpful in determining what mistakes I may make. I like constuctive criticism. And I love to explain things. Thanks to all who read and liked! 

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. Review responses: 

Sunfowerseed:Yes, I had been wanting to use Pandora's myth for a long time. 

Nah, that is not the end of the series. In the episode right after the episodes where Kouga first shows up, Kagome sees Inu hugging Kikyou under a tree. Inu vows that Kikyo belongs to him. Kikyo hugs him back then turns on him and puts a dagger to his throat and tells him that he is no different from Naraku. Kikyo leaves. Inu turns to see Kagome standing there. No words are said but there is this look in Inu's eyes of regret. Kagome runs back home and he does not follow. While Kagome is in her time and Inuyasha is in his. Inuyasha tells everyone else that he has chosen Kikyo over Kagome. UGH! While Kagome is in her time she realizes she loves Inu. Kagome comes back to the feudel era and tells Inu that she understands and that she will always be by his side. So their quest together, just as friends, continues. 

Sashlea: Now that is a coincindence! Good luck in summer school! ^_^ 

Sake Girl Duelest: You just left Sessy there? 

Alina: girl, don't exert yourself too much. ^_^ 

And thanks to all who reviewed! ( most who asked about Pandora and I gave my explanation in the notes at the first of the chapter.) ^_^ 

Tenshi no Yami 

Johanna Gen: Gaspity Gasp? 

My Reflection: I don't know why but I like your pen name. 

mikopriestess143 

Phoebi 

fan of story ^_- 

Blue Demon 

Shinoku : *pouts* no real pocky for me..drat. I'm glad you like the bit of pandora. I am silently hoping that I am not taking anyone else's idea who may have put it in Inuyasha first. I haven't seen anyone with it so I guess I am ok. ^_^ 


	4. chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. 

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Chapter four: Collar 

Sesshomaru lay without moving for two days. 

As night approached on the second day, he stirred. 

While cradling his left arm, the demon sat up in achingly slow degrees. 

With great effort, he managed to crawl over to the side wall. 

His body jerked at the jolt of pain as his right shoulder touched the ungiving surface. 

Biting his lip, the youkai leaned heavily with his back against the wall until the needling sensation passed. 

The demon closed his eyes and rested from the tiring exertions. 

He needed to think. 

That woman... 

That bitch... 

If what she claimed to be held any truth, then the danger of his situation was undisputably grave. 

He had heard mostly legends and stories of the witch. 

Believing them to be mere myth, he had discounted the tales as pure fantasy. But now, it seems, he had been wrong in his assumptions. 

The legends were vague but from what his mental gatherings could surmise , the woman had enough power to kill or control any youkai she desired. 

Those stories, long ago, had been whispered by youkai in dark places. 

They had spoken of her ageless beauty and timeless undertaking; the task of seizing demon souls and sealing them inside her little wooden box for eternity. 

It had been unknown how the miko trapped her victims. 

But now he _knew_. He had fallen into one of her snares. 

The youkai opened his eyes and looked down at Tenseiga. 

His sword had saved him, protected him from the spirit stealing mist. 

And for once in his life, the inu youkai prince thanked his father for the gift. 

But he had not come out of the confrontation unscathed. 

The miko's power had ripped through him as if he were paper. 

Her parting tap wounded him more than any battle he had ever fought in. 

He didn't like this. 

And his demon blood demanded her death. 

The youkai growled, earning him an undesirable stab of pain through his chest. 

He grimaced then shook his head slightly to clear his vision which had started to spin. 

Something was wrong. 

Whatever sorcery imprisoned him and sealed his demonic powers, had also interfered with his ability to heal at a normal rate. 

These injuries should have healed in one day, but the feeling of raw muscle against jagged bone told him different. 

By the rate his wounds were mending, he would not be able to stand for another three days at the most. 

If the miko decided to return before that time, his chances of beating the witch were slim. 

Anger sparked and he clinched his fist. 

His thoughts turned scarlet as he imagined taking the witch and rending every piece of flesh from her body strip by bloody strip. 

His lips curved in a malicious smile. 

Yes. He would listen to her screams of torment for hours before he let her die. 

The demons daydream of inflicting horrific torture on the miko vanished when a certain scent floated in from outside. 

He determined the odor to be that of a fox demon; a kit to be precise. 

A small rustle to the right of his prison confirmed that there was indeed something or someone close by. 

Minutes passed. 

The patter of little paws could be heard. 

Sesshomaru turned his head to peer out through the iron like bars. 

He heard the youkai sniffing around, probably trying to decide if his presence presented a threat. 

A minute later, a tuft of auburn hair stuck out from around the corner. 

Then two little fox eyes looked in. 

Cautiously, the child moved around to the front of the trap, while keeping his gaze fixed on him. When he came within an arms length of the bars, he stopped. He tilted his head in curiosity then spoke. "Hello." 

Sesshomaru looked away. 

The inu youkai picked up the movements of the kit as his steps came even closer. 

The child spoke again in a more anxious tone. "Are you..... hurt?" 

The dog demon ignored the brat. 

"Why are you in here?" the kit questioned. 

Sesshomaru kept his gaze on the far wall. "Go away." 

Then he picked up the scent of despair from the little fox. 

"I am lost. I got separated from mother and father when we were attacked by the Thunder Brothers. Which way should I go to get out of this forest?....Please tell me." the child implored. 

Sesshomaru let out a long breath. With no emotion he replied. "Follow the North Star." 

The kits voice brightened some. "Thank you." 

As he waited for the fox to leave, the smell of fresh blood tingled his nose. 

His mouth watered. 

He turned to see the kit rumaging in a leather pouch. 

The fox child then pulled out two recently killed rabbits and pushed them through the bars. "Here...you can have these, I still have two more in my bag. Me and father were out hunting before.........well anyway....thanks for the directions." 

The small kit then turned and left, heading north, towards his father's lands. 

Sesshomaru stared at the freshly killed rabbits. 

His stomach voiced its opinion on the matter. 

Reaching over, the youkai picked up the meat and proceeded to tear into it. 

After finishing the somewhat satisfying meal, he painstakingly moved to lay down, resting his head on his fur boa. 

The inu youkai soon fell asleep. 

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Sesshomaru woke to the lighting of day. 

He sat up, noticing that his wounds had finally healed. 

The demon concluded that he had slept for at least three days. 

While standing, his muscles creaked from being unused for so long. 

Gripping the solid bars, he looked out to the dense forest that surrounded the clearing. 

The inu youkai raised his nose slightly then inhaled deeply. 

Only the smell of the morning dew drying under the emerging sunlight filled his senses. 

He listened; no crickets, no frogs, no birds. Nothing . It seemed even nature avoided this cursed place. 

Then, he heard the faint sound of footsteps. 

The demon waited. 

Soon, a figure emerged out of the parting branches and stepped into the clearing. 

Sesshomaru recognized the dark grey cloak. 

It was her. 

He watched the woman closely as she pulled her hood back. 

She smiled at him. "I see that you haved.....healed. This is good. I hoped you would be alive upon my return. Sometimes, I can get.....carried away." 

The inu youkai remained silent. 

In a tone of mock innocence, the woman cooed. "Oh...something wrong? Can't speak? Cat got your tounge?" 

Sesshomaru cleared all thoughts then forged a mental barrier. 

The miko crossed her arms, still smiling. "I see, demon, that you have a few talents of your own. Very clever, closing your thoughts off to me. But it matters not. I do not need to hear or see your thoughts to know what your intentions are towards me. You want to kill me. I understand. It's not every day the Great Prince of the Western Lands comes upon an adversary who is more powerful than he. You will learn, youkai, that you are but an insect to the likes of me. I can crush you with my finger if need be." 

The miko uncrossed her arms and looked at him intently. "But I do not wish to take your life. Your capture has offered me an opportunity to utilize some of your worthy abilities. You will be a useful tool to help aid me in my work. You, demon, will be my guardian, my servant, my slave, and my pet. You belong to me now. I am your master. And I expect your absolute obediance." 

Sesshomaru stood very still, listening to the woman. He wasn't about to give the bitch the pleasure of knowing how her words affected him. 

The miko then slipped a hand inside of her cloak. 

As his body tensed in caution, the inu youkai prepared himself as much as he could for the unknown. 

Reaching into the folds of her garments, the woman then pulled out a circular object which seemed to made of black iron. She looked the object over carefully, running her fingers over the outer edge. "This, my dear youkai, is how I am going to control you. Know this, Lord Sesshomaru, from this moment on, you will forever be a servant, if not to me then to whomever may own you in the future." 

The female then smiled a wickedly wistful smile. "I have one hope, my beautiful prince. I do hope that this restraint will not drive you.......mad. It would be a shame if I were forced into a........... mercy killing." 

Sesshomaru eased backwards, placating his panicing instincts that were steadily rising to an uncontrollable level. Even though his body pleaded with him to try anything to escape , he remained calm on the outside. 

He knew there was no where to run. His situation just took a turn for the worse. 

The inu youkai had a good idea what this miko had planned for him. 

Other youkai had come under the control of miko's before. But in no journals or books had he ever come across any writings detailing the magics of one such as she. 

This woman, the power she possessed and her appearance rivaled the angel of death. 

And this dark angel, this bringer of pain, wanted him. 

He watched in growing apprehension as the witch began chanting in a different language. 

She held the black shiny ring out in front of her and closed her eyes. 

Her words echoed louder, claiming all sound and air around him. 

The ring rose up from her grasp. 

It began glowing with an unholy luster and started to spin. 

From what he could see, the ring broke into several pieces, breaking into a circle of whirling, spinning stars. 

As the miko's voice grew louder, the dots of light spun faster and faster. 

Then they broke away from each other and flew towards him. 

The demon swiped his claws out in one last futile effort of defense. 

But the small orbs of brightness only whipped around his talons as if they were only a nuisance. 

The luminance grew brighter. While closing his eyes to the blinding radiance, Sesshomaru could feel his hair bristle at the prospect of imminent danger. 

A weight manifested around his throat. It's coldness reminded the demon of the feel of steel against skin. 

Suddenly, a strange sense of loss engulfed the demon. 

As the flash of light died, the inu youkai opened his eyes. 

His hands reached up to feel the foreign object around his neck. He clawed at the restraining metal but his nails only slid across the slick hard surface. 

Sesshomaru glared at the witch "What sorcery is this?" 

The woman looked down and seemed to be dusting off some invisable dirt from her cloak. "I would think that a well read youkai such as yourself would know a subduing spell when he saw one." 

The infernal witch then raised a hand in the air and snapped her fingers. 

The walls of his prison then fell away, disappearing into the ground while the roof only vanished. 

He was free. 

And he wished, at that very moment, to do two things: one, kill the miko and two, go back home. And he wanted to do them in that order. 

The demon smirked at the wench who stood a mere ten feet from him. 

He was going to kill her now. 

But the youkai found himself unable to do so. His body would not comply with his overwhelming urge to rip the woman to shreds. 

As the demon clinched his hands together in mounting anger, he felt hot liquid ooze from his tightened fists. 

Damn it. he wanted to kill this....this....bitch. 

Finding his desire to rend the life from the witch thwarted, Sesshomaru looked around. His need for revenge would have to wait. 

The inu youkai prince wanted to go home, and put as much distance between him and this hell cat as possible. 

But again, he realized that the wish to escape this nightmare would not be granted. 

He was being held be magical means. 

This is what she meant by control. 

This spelled neck brace forced him to stay and froze all actions concerning his desire to kill or hurt the woman before him. 

After giving an amused chuckle, the raven haired female sauntered over to him. "You are now bound to me, demon. I am your owner. You cannot harm me. You cannot escape me. You are mine, body and soul.." 

Her hands trailed over his clothes offhandedly then smoothed over his boa. She then reached up to touch his face. 

Sesshomaru jerked his head away. 

The miko frowned "It seems I will have to.....teach you some manners, prince." As the woman walked away from him, she gave him a command "I have much to do, youkai. Follow Me!" 

Sesshomaru only stared at the wench, he wasn't about to obey any of her commands. 

A few seconds later, the metal ring around his throat began to tighten. It closed around his neck. He couldn't breath..... the demon frantically clawed at the constricting metal choker. 

He dropped to his knees when a surge of power started at his throat and ripped over and into his skin. 

Cool, damp earth bunched up under his palms as his talons dug into the mossy ground. 

The intensity of the magical current sliced through his insides, making him spasm violently. 

Sesshomaru kneeled lower, his nose only inches away from the decaying smell of the dead grass. 

Fire consumed his flesh and his mind screamed in agony. 

His thoughts scattered then slowly edged their way into an oncoming but welcomed blackness. 

The inu youkai's silent whimpers died to only whispers. 

But just as the pain intensified to a level beyond his will to endure, it lessened. 

The metal around his neck loosened and he sucked in a much needed breath of air while his body jerked at the fading sensations of the vicious torture. 

The miko's footsteps drew near and he heard her voice speak in an irritated tone. "Now you know what happens to you, demon, if you defy me." 

She bent down, her lips close to his ear. "And I will tell you a little secret, my Prince. You defy my command more than once and the pain will only increase until your mind is nothing but an endless fog. You will become my puppet completely with the death of your spirit." Her cloak rustled, the sound of the cloth moving farther away. "I do not have time for this. Get up and follow me!" 

Sesshomaru eased up slowly, spitting out the blood which had welled up in his mouth. 

He stumbled once then began walking in the miko's direction. 

While trailing behind the woman he realized he had no choice but to comply with her demands. 

Becoming lost in the shame, the inu youkai prince wallowed in the disgrace of being a slave. 

His wild freedom and untamed spirit was now locked away forever in servitude. 

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Another chap finished in this saga. And it's going to get better. Well maybe not for our beloved Sess. But it will become more interesting. Hope you liked this chap and maybe it helped to give more insight as to what the spell does. I have had some problems explaining it. I almost kicked the story because I confused some people. But I decided to go on with it anyway and work around the problem. Hope you all were entertained.^_^ Comments? Questions? Please reveiw. Thanks to all who read and enjoy. The next chap of Captive Soul will be out Friday. Ja ne. Review responses: 

Shinoku: Thanks for the cookie! *munch munch munch* can I have an oreo next time? ^_^ 

fan of story: You like star wars? that's great! I was in love with Han Solo. I loved the romance between him and Leia. Now I am a die hard Harrison Ford fan. Anything with him is a winner in my book. And now you tell me your a teacher. I got a little self conscious when I read that. eeeps. Ah well, anywho glad you like the chap. ^_^ 

innuficcrzy: Ah, I would love to answer your questions but it will give some of this story away. sorry. review stealing demons? Man, don't let them boogers get anywhere near me.....*runs off to get the latest in computer virus protection from demons* 

taskinLUDE: Glad you like the pandora idea. I just took her myth and fit it into Inuyasha's time. Thanks for the spelling info. I got it corrected. Well, sesshy didn't really panic on the tenth day. He was just a little worried. 

Sake Girl Duelist: *raised eyebrow* "Super Soaker?" Flame Thrower! Hey if you could, burn the woman to a nice crispity crisp. 

Many happy thanks to the others who reviewed. ^_^ 

My Reflection 

Hino Rei 

and Blue Demon 


	5. chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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Chapter 5: business 

Sesshomaru stepped lightly behind the miko. Her cloaked form moved ahead of him like a shadow under the dark shades of the ancient oaks. 

Silently, they traveled together, heading north. His hopes rose for an instant. They were heading towards his father's lands. 

Then he faltered in his hope. The simple emotion died in a wave of shame. 

He did not wish for his father or his half breed brother to see him like this. 

Even if his father did manage to kill this angel of death, his fate had now been sealed. 

The witch had mentioned future owners. If his owner dies, then another will only take it's place, in one way or another. She had cursed him. The only way he had a chance, lay in getting the curse lifted and finding a way to remove the restraint around his throat. Maybe the witch would slip up soon and give him a clue. 

He halted in his steps when the woman in front of him stopped. 

She raised a hand and tapped the side of her hood. Her fluid, icy voice chided him. "If you want a clue, my prince, I will give you one. I have designed your servitude to last as long as you breathe. Every lock has a key. But sometimes a unique key exacts a heavy price." 

The miko continued on her way as if she had never spoken. He glared at the figure in front of him and inwardly cursed his carelessness. 

Once again he erected a mental wall, closing off his private thoughts. 

The day wore on as their footsteps crunched the dead grass and broke the occasional twig. 

Looking up at the sun's position, he surmised that they had been moving for at least a couple of hours. 

Soon, they came upon another clearing. One that could have been a mirror image of the one before. And, as he suspected, a black metal type cage lay on one side of the treeless ring. 

They parted the foliage and stepped into the clearing. 

Only the side of the trap was visable from their direction. 

But this cage measured only half the size of the one he had been imprisioned in. 

Upon nearing the snare, he picked up the faint sound of sniffles. Then his sense of smell informed him of just who it was that had become another one of Pandora'a unfortunate victims. 

The miko halted then raised a hand to him. "Stay." 

The inu youkai stopped, irritation sparking in him. His arrogance did not play well with orders. 

He watched as the same scene repeated itself. 

The woman neared a decaying tree stump and set her little box of death on the flat ringed surface. She lifted the jeweled lid and let loose the blackish purple miasma. 

It creeped slowly in the direction of the metal cage. 

From out of the structure came the faint, weak voice of a child. "Hello.......Is anyone out there?.....Please..I...I want to go home...please someone help me..." A small paw reached out through the bars waving up and down in a frantic motion. "Please, someone, anyone...help me." 

The deadly vapor misted closer to the bars. 

When the small paw retreated back into the cage, the strong scent of fear hit him, making his hackles rise. 

He heard the child once again, his tone, overtaken with terror. "What?.......no..get away from me...help! please! no... stay away!..Moma!.... Father! ..help!" 

The grating sound of small nails scraping and screeching against smooth metal assaulted his ears. 

The child was panicing. 

Even though he observed in slight interest as the miasma entered through the bars, for some unknown reason, he could not fathom why, this offense bothered him. 

When the scratching and clawing stopped, a strangled gagging took it's place. 

Then.....silence. 

A light thud signaled the return of the putrid fog. 

The miko closed the lid and shook her head. 

After concealing the wooden box within her cloak, the witch raised her hand and snapped her fingers. 

The black structure vanished and there lay the body of the kit fox. 

The woman addressed him with obvious annoyance. "It's still alive. Kill it then take it to the river and dump the little vermin. Return when you have finished the task." 

Sesshomaru walked over to the youkai fox child and picked the boy up by the scruff of his neck. 

As he lifted the kit in the air, the child's eyes fluttered open. 

The young fox began to stuggle, apparently sensing danger. 

Sesshomaru then clasped his other hand around the tender flesh of the child's throat. 

Little paws dug into the skin of his hand as the fox child fought in a desperate attempt to break free of his grasp. 

The dog demon tightened his grip on the kit's neck to keep him quiet. 

Slowly he began to squeeze, cutting off the young one's airway. 

Eyes, large with fright, watered, spilling droplets over his knuckles. 

Betrayal and hopelessness stared back at him. But the light of emotion wavered as the child's body went limp. 

Sesshomaru looked away. 

The last beat of a young heart and the quiet snap of tiny bones resounded in his ears. 

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. Ras here, short chapter but had to be for effect. I hope you all don't want to throw rotten vegetables at me for killing off poor shippo but remember, sometimes things aren't always what they seem. Thanks to all who read and were entertained. 

Reveiw responses: 

taskinLUDE: Awe man! you found out my secret. my mind will not work in the R direction. Weird huh. I am a full grown adult and I have trouble making things turn out that way. I am so pathetic. anywho. The north star thing to me sounded good. I am a hopeless poet at heart. *he he* When Sessy said it his mind set was very down. He had just been badly defeated by the bad lady. So it was the start of his transformation into a different person. Sessys father is still alive. Lord is a title given to most nobility wether they are the prince or king. But really she was goading him most of the time. And about the panther. I will let people run with their imagination until I explain the cat in later chapters. Great questions! glad to answer them. ^_^ 

inuficcrzy: My gosh child, you ask the questions that will give my story away. ^_^ I want to answer them but I can't. You will just have to wait for future chapters. And I definitly have a mind to fininsh these stories. I love my characters too much to abandon them. 

Shinoku: Thanks *munch* so much *munch* for *munch* the *chomp munch* oreos. 

Hino Rei: Wow another one! *takes this oreo and twists it apart, eats the cream, then dumps the rest in milk.* 

And I also want to thank the others who read and reviewed!^_^ 

DogDemon

BlueDemon 

Tenshi no Yami 

Johanna Gen 

jeslyn-nighthawk 

and Henti Jane 


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters 

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Chapter 6: New Home 

The deed had been done. 

As he turned in the direction of the river, Sesshomaru carried the lifeless body in one hand. It dangled in his tight grip. It's bushy tail wisped over the dirt, creating an almost unnoticable trail in the sand. 

He could almost feel the eyes of the miko on him as he left the clearing. 

The dog demon walked slowly, taking his time. 

She had not ordered him to hurry. And unless he was directly ordered into an action, he would defy the wench in every possible way. 

Dead leaves crunched underfoot. Soon, a small pathway emerged in the thickening grass stalks as he approached the source of water. 

The wild rush of the untamed river grew louder. 

It wouldn't be long now. He would dump the kitsune's carcass in the depths of the raging waters then return to his owner. At least this little one had escaped through death. The fox child's soul would not be held or bound for eternity by that witch. 

The possibility that he could break free in that respect did not elude him. A small part of him considered the act. 

With great affirmation his features darkened. 

No, he would not give the woman the satisfacion of seeing him resort to such drastic measures. He was a survivor. He would not run from this fate by taking his own life. 

The inu youkai prince made the decision in that very instant. The miko would not win. 

She would never claim him completely. 

The will to fight for his spirit evolved into a clear, fierce vow. 

NO. 

Even if the tide of her magic overcame him, he would never completely surrender his soul to that witch. 

He held to his inner promise, branding it into memory. 

Tenseiga pulsed. 

He slowed. 

The river remained only a few feet away. 

The weapon's vibration grew, demanding his immediate attention. 

Sesshomaru looked down at his sword. 

It was speaking to him, telling him to use his father's gift. But for what purpose? 

A light dawned in the prince's gray world. 

Death to life. 

As his feet carried him at a slower pace, he withdrew Tenseiga from it's sheath. 

It pulsed again, louder, compelling him to listen to it's urgent cry. 

Methodically, he raised the body of the kitsune, holding it's limp form out in front of him. 

Then, the youkai saw them, the creatures of the underworld. They were alighting near the kitsune, hovering over the dead fox child, preparing the soul for the journey to the next world. 

Sesshomaru raised Tenseiga. 

He slashed at the green shaded ghosts, effectively ending their morbid task. 

As he observed in adept fascination, the child's broken neck mended. 

The kitsune's eyes opened in a groggy motion. 

When the kit twisted around to face him, the young fox froze. 

Pure, untainted fear rose up in the little one's features. 

The cool mist of spraying river water floated all around. 

He had reached his destination. 

Sesshomaru let loose his grip on the kit fox who landed on the bank of the river. The child stared up at him with wide eyes full of disorientation and confusion. "You......you hurt me....I remember.....I...died.." 

The dog demon gave a snort of indifference. "Cross the river. You should be safe on the other side. It is my father's lands. If you happen to come upon the Great Lord Inu Youkai of the West.......tell him...his son...Sesshomaru....is dead." 

With that, he retreated back into the shadows of the forest. 

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When he returned to the clearing, Sesshomaru found the miko looking off into the afternoon sky. 

Without turning to him, she scolded in a flat tone. "I see you try my patience, youkai , making me wait." 

Sesshomaru stopped near her and waited, silently. 

The woman smiled faintly and began walking away. "Clever one, you are. I see you may need a little push in the right direction. I will see to it...personally. Now, come. We have several days travel ahead of us." 

Days passed and never once did they stop to rest, not that he needed to. But oddly enough, the woman didn't lag or seem to tire. Her pace remained steady throughout the day as well as the night. 

As the sun began to set on the fourth day, they moved between thick trees covered with heavy moss and choking vines. 

The miko halted in her stride for only a moment and raised her hand. 

At once, a bright shimmering circle opened up in mid air and she passed through. 

After he stepped across the threshold of the magic barrier, it closed behind him. 

The air became lighter and easier to breath. A space opened up from the dense treeline. His feet tread on lush, green grass. 

Soon, they came upon a dwelling built of old gray stone. A neat stable, more than likely made for horses, stood beside it. 

Sesshomaru guessed the abode's size to be bigger than most homes of the rich, but somewhat smaller than his father's estate. 

A stone pathway edged with red spider lillies led them to the entrance. 

The woman opened the heavy wooden door and waved her hand once without looking back. "Come." 

The spacious front room was furnished with simple wooden chairs and a small table. On the far side, a fur rug covered the stone floor in front of a large blackened fireplace. 

His senses picked up the presense of another being nearby, a human. 

A young human female hurried from a side room and greeted them. Her clothes were the plain and simple dress of a servant. The inu youkai noticed that she did not smell like other humans he had encountered. Her clean fragance was a mixture of different scents: sun, hay, and wild flowers, with the hint of kichen spices. The human girl's straight brown hair brushed the floor when she bowed at the miko's feet. 

As the miko pulled her hood back, she spoke to her female servant. "Liana, escort my new guest to his bedchamber and the bath. Bathe him, then prepare a meal for him as well. Send me word when you have finished your task." 

The young girl straightened at her lady's command then looked up at him, patiently waiting. 

The miko addressed him. "She will show you to your room. Go with her, bathe, then wait for me in your chambers." 

He glared at the back of the witch woman's head before giving a nod to the human girl. 

As the young female led him down a long hallway, he glanced at the gray walls. Archaic paintings displaying images of humans dressed in long flowing robes hung from them. The scenes were ancient and timeless. 

The human pushed on a wooden door. 

When the dog demon entered the bedroom, he assessed his new sleeping quarters. Shadows danced throughout the room from the only source of light, the fireplace. An antique chair faced the hearth. There was one curtained window. Not too far from the window lay a large futon covered with lavish quilts. Beside the bed was a small night table. And a wooden wardrobe stood near the entrance. 

The small human female opened the wardrobe and proceeded to place garments on the futon. After doing this, she waved her hand at him in a 'come hither' motion. She walked back down the hall to another door and opened it. 

He followed her into a room which smelled of steam and jasmine. Several candles provided enough light to chase away the darkness. A large bathing tub filled with hot water set deeply in the floor. The water circulated with a current, most likely fed by a hot spring. 

The young girl lay a drying cloth down on a bench near the tub. 

She turned to face him. 

For a moment she hesitated but then reached out to his breast plate. 

He growled in warning at the girl. 

The girl froze then looked up at him. 

Her dark green eyes betrayed her fear. 

Again, she moved to his armor. This time, he grabbed her small hands, almost crushing them. 

The young girl gave a small yelp and tried to break free from his grip. 

But the dog demon held fast and stared in disgust at the human. 

While leaning towards the struggling female, he snarled. "Don't. Touch. Me." 

He released the girl who instantly collapsed before him. 

She whispered in a small timid voice. "Forgive me. I was only doing what my lady bid me to do. Will you allow me to help you bathe?" 

Sesshomaru looked down at the cowering human and replied coldly. "I need no assistance.....leave." 

While keeping her head slightly bowed, the girl rose then backed away. 

After being left alone, he removed his armor, weapons and clothes. 

The hot water washed away the blood and filth from his body. 

When he had finished, he dried off. 

Sesshomaru gathered his belongings and returned to his room. 

As he placed the soiled garments on the floor, next to the bed, he picked up the smell of food. 

The aroma of stewed pork drifted from a covered tray on the nightable. 

Sesshomaru looked at his new bed where the girl had placed a set of clothes earlier. 

He picked up the garments and inspected them closely. 

They were of the same style that he usually wore but not as decorative. 

And the quality did not befit royalty. 

He sighed and began to dress. 

It didn't matter. His status had been lowered. If anything, he could now be considered less than a servant. At least a servant had compensation and some freedom. 

After dressing, he sat down in the antique chair near the fireplace. 

He gazed at the flickering flames. 

She would come for him soon. 

What the miko had planned for him remained uncertain. 

The very thought of the wench made his demon blood boil. 

Without thinking, he gripped the armrest until the crack of wood brought him back to reality. 

A dull creaking caught his attention and he turned to see the miko standing in the doorway. 

No longer cloaked, he beheld her stunning beauty. 

Raven locks spilled over bare shoulders. 

The sheer, silky fabric of her dress left nothing to the imagination, showing much of her alabaster skin. 

Eyes alight with carnel need and raw power studied him. 

With one hand delicately placed on the curve of her hip and one finger lightly grazing the red line of her bottom lip, she smiled devilishly. 

She then spoke in a deep tone, ripe with lucid desire. "Come, my pet. I have need of you tonight." 

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Ras here, I know, I know, I haven't put chapter 18 of Captive Soul out yet. I have come across a few snags with the chapter. Even thought I have it written, I am having a few problems with character development. I am in a funk. Have any other author's come across this problem? I may not update it until next Friday. Hope you all enjoyed this episode of Captured Soul. Next chapter will be a full out lemon. It cannot be avoided but it will be done in taste. There will only be two lemons in this story and both are crucial to the storyline. TTNF. Ras. 

Review Responses: 

fan of story: Well, about Sesshomaru, he was having a tinge of conscience about killing the fox kit. Sesshomaru is a character who will kill with no qualms. But I have never seen him kill innocents in the series. So I believed, in his mind, there would be a small amount of guilt in the murder of the kit fox. 

taskinLUDE: The collar does not allow Sesshomaru to leave his master and it keeps him from doing physical harm to his owner. There is a subjugation word tied to it for punishment. Sess has his demon strength and speed and healing abilities. But his demonic powers are siphoned off by the collar. The collar feeds off these powers in a sense. 

Tenshi no Yami: Sorry, but in this story, Pandora does not get killed. 

Sake Girl Duelist: I don't think shippoh is too annoying but that Jaken. I can't stand the screeching toad. Notice that he in not in my story! At least in the Japanese version his voice is lower and does'nt grate on my nerves. 

And many thanks to other's who read and reviewed: 

jeslyn-nighthawk 

inuficcrzy 

Dog Demon 

Johanna Gen 

Blue Demon 

and Breshcandra 


	7. chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters 

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Author's note. I know I said this chapter would be a lemon but I did some thinking. I needed to ensure an emotional mind set for Sesshmaru to prepare for that lemon. Next chap will be the lemon. I promise....really. 

Warning: Extreme violence in this chapter! 

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Chapter 7: I have no words to describe this chap. 

The dog demon rose from the chair and approached the female. 

Her smile widened as he came near. She turned and walked slowly down the hallway, the hypnotic sway of her hips flaunting the bare skin which peeked out from certain parts of her silky dress. This woman....her scent.....made his head spin. Sesshomaru surmised that it would definitely make any human male burn with need. Even though he himself was not human, his male instincts hammered at him to pay attention to the pheromone. But he refused and pushed down that part of him which cared not for the decency of proper mating. 

At the end of the hall, the miko opened a large heavy door. As she walked in, she raised her hand to him. "Come." 

He entered the room, undoubtably the miko's bed chamber. Candle light bathed the walls in flickering shadows. A king sized bed, covered with luxurious quilts, centered the room. The fireplace blazed not to far from the oversized bed. Two clothed chairs had been placed close to the hearth. 

As the miko sauntered over to her bed, she softly spoke a light order. "Shut the door, youkai." 

Sesshomaru stopped and turned to the door. After he had finished the task, he remained with his back to the woman, facing the old wooden entrance. 

The miko chuckled. "Turn around, demon." 

He complied. 

The woman rose from her seat on the bed and slowly walked over to him. "I see you are going to make this difficult. I don't have to read those thoughts of yours to know how difficult you want to make your servitude." 

Her steps halted before him. "But I can assure you, demon, the more you try do defy me, the worse it will become for you." 

She reached up to his face. 

He growled. 

Her hand froze in mid air. 

The delicate beauty in her face hardened somewhat. "You need to be trained, dog." 

Lowering her hand, she stared at him with building irritation. "I had hoped I wouldn't have to teach you how to behave, but it seems that I must." 

She shook her head. "Such a bother." 

But then she smiled wickedly as her eyes traveled over his body. "Though....I am certain the rewards will definitly be worth it." 

The woman backed up and tilted her head. "I think we will start your lesson in manners now. I want to enjoy this evening, prince. And in order to do that, I will need you to be obedient enough and not give me any problems concerning that attitude of yours." 

He sneered at the woman. "Witch, even though it seems I can not disobey your sick commands, know this, I will not give in to your demented advances. You are nothing but a self centered bitch. Your very presence infuriates me. I want nothing more than to rip your heart out and toss it to that damn cat of yours." 

The miko smirked, a knowing light sparked in the obsidian depths of her eyes. "You want me to kill you, don't you. Oh, now that would be all too easy for you to escape me. I have every intention of keeping you, demon. Death would be too good for the likes of you." 

The witch woman's smirk went rigid as she grimaced with annoyance. "But you must pay for that forked tongue of yours, demon. The pain I inflict on you will make the flames of Hell feel like raindrops from Heaven. I can make your body scream for death. If you wish to keep that mind of your's intact, I suggest you learn the proper way of speaking to a lady. I am your master now, dog. And you _will_ learn to speak with respect to your owner." 

While moving over to an old wooden chest, her voice took on a sharp edge. "Before your lessons are through, you will be begging me...begging me for mercy. We will start, youkai, with something, _I_ believe, will change your taste in speech." 

Sesshomaru backed up a step. 

The collar around his throat tightened some in warning. 

He went still, not wishing for the subduing restraint to activate. Reaching up, he pulled at the metal and pushed his fingers in between the collar and his skin, allowing him to swallow. 

The miko chided him while sifting around in the wooden chest. "Ah, ah, ah, not very smart, youkai, you know better than that. The spell placed on you is more powerful than you could ever imagine. It will never allow you to break free from your owner. Attempting to move away from me would be futile." 

The restraint around his throat loosened. 

He watched as the woman straightened, closing the lid of the wooden chest in the process. 

The witch had an object in her hands. 

Every hair on his body rose as his skin prickled. Something bad was about to happen. 

When she turned around, he realized just what that object was; a cat-o-nine. Sharp, shiny metal spikes glittered at the end of each leather strap. 

She smiled with sadistic glee as she neared him. "Do you know about Miko's and their power, demon?" 

The woman stopped at arm's length from him and traced a finger over the handle of the whip. "Miko's have the power to infuse any weapon of their choice with purifying magic. In a way, they can make any object they touch a device which can cause pain, maim, or kill any demon nearby." 

Eyes alight with malicious intent glared up at him as the whip in her hands began to crackle with a glowing light. "Take off you upper garment." He scowled at the miko and slowly untied his belt. 

Taking his time; he removed the clothes from his body, letting the garment fall silently to the floor to crumple at his feet. 

He felt his hair wisp against his bare back. 

A feral, lusty tint lined her features . "Face the wall, demon, then kneel." 

Sesshomaru's heart began to pound as he faced the wall. In small degrees he lowered to the floor. 

Hard, cold stone met his knees. 

He waited. 

Light footsteps gave him the impression that the woman was pacing behind him. 

The miko's aura neared his backside. 

Fingers threaded through his hair. "It would be such a shame to stain those pretty locks of yours." 

He swallowed hard as her cold hands pushed aside his hair, moving it to fall across his chest. A warm breath brushed his ear. "You are mine...beg me and I will spare you...." 

Refusing to reply, Sesshomaru only stared at the nicks and crevices in the gray stone. 

Her voice fell away. "I see....arrogance does not suit you, my prince." 

The woman spoke again. "This will teach you, demon. This will teach you the real meaning of submission. Do not make a move to escape your lesson, youkai. You will only anger me more. And that collar of yours won't take it too lightly either." 

A loud crack pierced the air. 

He clenched his eyes shut and hissed as searing pain ripped its way down his flesh. 

Again, the whip sounded, this time rending muscle. He let out a gasp and leaned forward, his forhead hitting the wall. 

Another lash followed, splitting open the skin from his shoulder to his lower back. 

The dog demon snarled. "Bitch!" 

The miko laughed. "Oh, now that was original." 

Placing his palms flat against the wall, he braced himself for the next lash. It came. 

He locked his jaw to keep from crying out as several lacerations tore into him, scraping bone. 

The coppery scent of his own blood pervaded his sense of smell. 

Then, it stopped. 

While breathing labored breaths, he opened his eyes. 

Her voice called out. "Beg me to stop." 

He glanced down to see scarlet pooling about his knees. 

With an even tone, he replied. "No." 

The woman let out a feminine snort. "I think you need a little more persuasion." 

He stiffened and waited. 

Another crack gave him a split second warning of what was to come. 

This time, his body smashed against the wall as the sheer force of the purifying magic sliced into his flesh and bone. 

The taste of copper flooded his mouth. 

The room began to move as his sense of balance blinked on and off. 

Pressed against the wall, he spat out the thick, choking liquid. 

With all the strength he could muster, Sesshomaru prepared himself as well as he could for the next attack. 

But it did not come. 

Suddenly, his instincts began screaming at him to flee. 

The powerful aura of the miko was rising, building to a fathomless level. 

He wanted to move...to get away...but...damnit..if he did..... 

For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt pure fear. 

Rational thought left him. 

He made a move to get away from her. 

It was a mistake. 

Before he had moved no more than an inch, the metal around his neck constricted. 

Now denied the ability to breath, Sesshomaru gagged in shock. One clawed hand reached up to the coiling, tightening metal. 

His insides blistered as hot streaks of power slashed through nerves, muscle and bone. 

A harsh quaking overtook him. 

He wanted to cry out, to scream, to howl. Anything to make it stop. But he could not. 

His voice had been silenced. 

Before he fell into the darkness, the collar loosened and he inhaled a sharp breath. 

For some reason he was weaker than a pup and the cold from the stone wall was now seeping into his cheek and bare chest. 

The miko's aura had increased dramatically now. 

Too exhausted from the aftershock of the collar's punishment, he remained motionless. 

While taking in deep breaths, he blinked. Everything was blurry. 

The floor beneath him seem to sway in an unsteady motion. 

Her hardened tone rose to a fevered pitch. "I will give you another chance, dog. Beg me...plead for the pain to stop....." 

He closed his eyes, maybe she would kill him. He rasped out what he knew may be his last word. "No." 

While still pressed up against the ungiving stone wall, he waited for his wish of death to be granted. 

A booming CRACK shook the room. 

The force of the blow crushed him into the gray stone wall. 

Unable to bear the pain as nearly every muscle in his back was torn to shreds and several ribs were severed, he howled. The deep gutteral cry pushed up from his lungs, changing in pitch as he let loose, trying to make his body endure the relentless agony. 

He heard a distinct crunch in his chest. 

Wet, warm liquid flowed out of his ears and nose. 

He screamed again as every inch of his flesh became engulfed in fire. 

Without knowing, Sesshomaru slipped down to the floor. 

Tremors rocked everything. 

He could not stop shaking. 

His cries evolved into heavy groans as he lay there on his right side. 

Sticky liquid stuck to his bare shoulder and arm. 

Dark spots covered everything as he curled in on himself. 

Light footfalls, sloshing through wetness, came near. 

A hand tangled in his hair. The room spun as something jerked his head back. 

A low female voice sounded close to his ear. "Do you want more? Do you want me to bring you to the brink of madness? I assure you. It is quite painful." 

He could barely comprehend her words as he shook violently from the pain which seem to be consuming the very core of his being. 

Her tone whispered lower. "Now, my pet. This is your last chance. I want to hear it from your lips. Beg me....beg like I know you can....." 

A bright light burned his vision as she held her hand up before his eyes. 

He flinched once. "I...." 

She coaxed him. "Yes my sweet.......that's it....say it.....come on...just say it and all the pain will go away...." 

He trembled. In a voice that the dog demon did not recognize, he stammered a humiliating and hesitant plea. "Please.......stop." 

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This chapter took lot out of me to write. I got to where i was cringing every time I wrote a word. I would like comments on this chap. I really needed to get Sesshy's mind set to where he feared the miko's power. It is so hard to get a demon like Sesshy in that position. I hope I succeeded. We will know with the next chap. Captive soul may take a few days to update. I have some really good scenes in mind for it. Please review! Thanks to all who read and were entertained. 

Review responses: 

Tatoosh: yep my funk is gone! yahhhhs. 

Henti Jane: Ah I see you have gotten out of your writer's block as well. When I get a chance I will come visit My unwilling mate. Ja ne. 

inuficcrzy: Woa I never thought of her using the collar during the dirty. Thats.... uh...an interesting concept. 

taskinLUDE: I have set a limit of fifteen chapters for this fic more or a little less. And you were right about the sword, he knew it was for healing but had no idea it could bring people back from the dead. He more or less was trying the weapon out. 

fan of story: Sorry but he will not get away from Pandora, this story ends when he is sold. 

Lil'Chi Chi: There will be two lemons in this story and they are essential to the plot. I will mark the lemons so you can skip over them if need be. Well I am a far cry from New York. I live in Mississippi. Southern Gal. I doubt very seriously I would find Pocky here. Ah Eddy's? I may have to try that. ^_^ 

And so many happy thanks to the others who read and reviewed. Smiles, Ras. ^_^ 

Tenshi no Yami 

Sunflowerseed 

Sake Girl Duelest 

DogDemon 

Johanna Gen 

Blue Demon and Hino Rei 


	8. chapter 8

Author's note. Only the second part of this chapter contains a lemon. 

I will mark the lemon with: ********************************************* 

Now remember! **************************************** 

Anybody under 17 should not read beyond this marker. **************************************************** I am not kidding now. This is what marks the SEX. ********************************* 

Got that? Huh? *snickers* 

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it characters. 

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Chapter 8: Sour to sweet to bitter 

The pain did not disappear. His owner had lied. Wallowing in agony, Sesshomaru lay waiting in a pool of his own blood. It hurt...It hurt so much. Through uneven heatbeats, his body jerked sporadically. 

The miko left him. From what his dulled and damaged senses could tell, she had walked out of the room. 

For what length of time the youkai could not determine, he shook and convulsed. 

The room spun in dizzying circles. With great effort, he moved his head and tried to establish his bearings. His arms and legs refused to move on command. Painful tremors were the only motions his mangled flesh and muscles would allow. 

He wanted to fall away, to leave this place and this torment. 

But that was not possible. 

For the first time in Sesshomaru's life, he shed a tear. He began to whisper between his cracked lips which were smeared with coppery stickiness. "Make it stop......please make it stop.....she said it would stop.." 

His whispers turned into loud groans as the pain began to increase. The flesh on his back began to burn. The smell of purifying magic seeped up into his clogged nose. 

The dog demon whimpered. She had left him here......to suffer. 

Suddenly, it felt as if the flesh on his back was melting. A thousand stabs of fire began to needle their way into the wounds on his back. It increased in mounting degrees. Soon he would not be able to bear it without crying out. He parted his lips again to rasp out a weak, pleading call to his owner. "Please......Make it stop......Please.....I beg you...." 

A moment later he was howling. "Please!......Make it stop!.....Mercy!... .Master! 

Through the blistering agony, he heard the sound of faint footsteps coming near. 

At that moment, the searing pain spiked then consumed him. 

Something within snapped and he forced out a blood chilling scream. "Kill me! I want to die! Please! I AM BEGGING YOU! KILL ME!" 

The unmerciful agony blinded him but did not allow his mind to shut down. 

Very strong hands picked him up and he twisted involuntarily in their hold as the motion caused splintered bone to pierce and slice into his insides. He screamed again. Something clamped over his mouth. He gagged, trying to cry out again as blood welled up in his throat. He felt himself being carried then dropped. When the cover on his mouth slipped away, he let out an ear splitting howl. 

But his cry was cut short. 

He had been tossed into water. 

His lungs filled with hot liquid. As he went limp, his world ebbed away into submerged numbness. 

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Sesshomaru woke with a start. He was laying on his stomach. The soft bed underneath cradled him. The demon had the desire to get up. But when he tried to move, he flinched. 

A small female voice soothed beside him. "Please, stay very still...It will only hurt more if you move." 

He let out a groan and buried his nose in the warm pillow. His mind despaired in the knowledge that death had not come for him. 

Light touches caressed his back. It felt as though a gooey paste was being rubbed on his flesh. The potent balm reminded him of forest herbs. 

Sesshomaru turned his head to the side where the voice had come from. 

The female spoke again; she sounded as if speaking more to herself than to him. "I didn't think you were going to make it. At least you are healing now. You must be a very powerful youkai for wounds such as these to heal so quickly." 

A deep breath earned him a stabing pain in his chest. But he clenched his eyes shut to counteract it and rasped out a question. "How long have I been asleep?" 

The female sighed. "Two days. My lady was not very pleased when you would not wake. She left the minute Shi'an placed you on your bed." 

With his senses returning, he now realized that the female nursing him was the servant; Liana. 

His mind took a turn about. Shi'an? 

Did not the miko call her pet panther by that name? 

The girl rambled. "I made you a fire. If you want, I can bring you something to eat. Would you like some meat broth?" 

While trying to turn more to see the young female, he winced. With some concern, he asked another question. "When did.....When is.....my owner....coming back?" 

The young girl moved to his line of sight; the worried light in her eyes showing clearly. "My lady said she would return in six days." 

He closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow again. "Leave me." 

The rustling of her servant robes told him that she had stood up. 

The girls light footfalls tapered off as she left the room and walked down the hall. 

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For the next two days, he did not move. From time to time, the female servant would come and tend to his injuries. Even though the girl tried to get him to eat, he refused. But, he did accept water. 

By the end of the second day, he sat up with some effort. Taking great care not to reopen the gashes in his back, Sesshomaru eased over to the night table where a covered tray had been laid. His stomach spoke to him and he lifted the covering to find two roasted pheasants. Very carefully, he reached over to the tray and pulled it onto his lap. The dog demon ate slowly. After he had finished, he picked up the tray and placed it back on the table. 

He moved and laid down on his stomach then let out a weary breath. 

Some time later, the young female entered the room. 

He watched as she checked the fire. 

She turned around and blinked. "Oh, I didn't know you were awake." 

Her eyes fell on the uncovered tray. The young girl smiled. "I see you have eaten. Do you wish for me to see to your injuries again?" 

Averting his eyes, he replied. "No." 

The young servant girl nodded then walked over to the night table. After picking up the tray, she left. 

He groaned once then fell asleep. 

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Morning light from the window flooded the room. Sesshomaru sat up and looked around. He stretched, noting that only soreness remained in his backside. His healing ability had finally finished it's task. Looking over to the window, he surmised that he had slept till midmorning. 

The miko would return today. 

The dog demon closed his eyes as a slight icy shudder passed over him. 

He shook his head once to clear the feeling. After several moments, the sickening pull on his insides abated. 

Upon opening his eyes, Sesshomaru found the young servant girl standing at the door to his room. 

Her head tilted slightly. "Do you need anything?" 

Sesshomaru let his gaze fall to the floor. "No." 

She nodded once and left. 

The day wore on as the dog demon worked out the kinks which had settled in his body by moving about the room. When the light began to dim with the setting sun, he lay back down on the bed and waited. 

Soon, he heard the wisp of the human female's robes. 

He looked over to the door. 

The young girl appeared. A hint of fear carried in her scent. While walking hurridley to the wardrobe, she spoke in a voice thick with anxiety. "My lady has returned. She wishes to see you." 

His heart began to pound. 

The female pulled out what appeared to be a long formal robe and folded it neatly. 

She turned to him. "My lady wants you to take a bath first." 

A pleading expression lit her face. "Will you please allow me to help you bathe this time? My lady explicitly asked that I do this." 

Sesshomaru slowly nodded and rose from the bed. 

With a smile of relief, the female headed out the door. "Please, follow me." 

He left the warmth of his room to follow the girl. 

After entering the bathing room, he stopped before the deep set pool. The young female turned away, probably waiting for him to undress. He untied the belt around his waist, letting his pants slip to the floor. 

While immersing himself in the hot , circulating bath, he calmed somewhat. 

Warm hands rubbed gently over his skin. A spicy fragrance drifted up as the female lathered some sort of substance in her hands. With great care, she scrubbed through his hair and over his body. This was the first time a female had touched him so intimately. Sesshomaru did not know why, but a small part of him liked it. 

When the girl finished washing him, She got up from her kneeled position. 

After picking up a large drying cloth, she waited next to the pool. 

Hot water splashed about his legs as he rose. 

The girl held up the drying cloth in front of her, hiding her eyes from his view. 

As he stepped over to the female, she reached out and helped wrap the cloth around his body. 

With a worried look, she asked him a question. "Will you please sit down on the bench and let me dry and brush your hair?" 

Sesshomaru complied with the request and moved to sit on the seat by the steamy bath. 

The girl walked over to the other side of the room and gathered two items: a brush and a smaller cloth. 

He closed his eyes and breathed evenly as her hands dried his hair with the other drying cloth. She began to comb with sure, careful brush strokes. While she performed the simple task with her delicate motions, a sweet tune floated from the young girl. It was a lullaby; an ancient one. 

So calmed by the light brushing and quiet song, Sessomaru barely noticed when the soothing brush strokes stopped. 

The soft voice of the female roused him out of the light daze and he opened his eyes. "I have placed your garment on the bench beside you. I will wait outside while you dress." With that, the girl stepped out of the room. 

He dressed in the long, white silk robe then walked out of the steam filled room. 

The girl nodded to him when he came out and gestured to the end of the hall. "This way." 

The thumping in his chest started again as he retraced the steps which had led him to the miko's bed chamber the first time. 

He clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. 

When they neared the door to the miko's bedchamber, the young girl knocked. 

An even, sultry voice called out. "Come." 

After pushing the old wooden door open, the female servant entered the room. 

Reluctantly, he followed the girl into the bedchamber, keeping his eyes on the stone floor. The crackling fire spilled animated shadows across the cold stone. 

He stopped when the young female halted in front of him. 

The girl bowed low, her soft tone filtering through the silence. "I have finished the task you have requested, My Lady." 

A voice laced with satisfaction answered. "You have done well, Liana. Now leave." 

The servant girl raised up and hurried out of the room. 

Sesshomaru went rigid with the click of the door. The sound of silk sliding over bare skin drew near. 

Closing his eyes, the dog demon tried to push down the fear which threatened to consume his spirit. 

The pounding in his ears almost drowned out the miko's purring tone. "I see you have healed, dear prince." 

The heat from her body circled him. "You clean up very nice." 

A lightness pushed into his hair and he heard a distinct sniff. "And you smell so good." 

She moved to the front of him. "What's the matter, prince? Afraid to look at me?" 

The miko gave a soft, short laugh. "I want you to see me, demon. Open your eyes." 

He did as ordered but kept his gaze to the floor. Small bare feet entered his line of sight. 

Her voice grew a notch higher. "Look at me, youkai." 

In slow degrees, he moved his vision to include the woman standing before him: from her ankles, to the transparent silk robe, then up to the beastly beauty of her face. 

A carnal smile graced full red lips. Black eyes smoldered with lust. 

One hand reached up to touch his face. 

He made no sound and remained deathly still. 

Her fingers gently smoothed over his cheek. 

Female musk nauseated him. 

Sesshomaru swallowed down the bitter bile in his throat. 

The smile on her face widened into a full grin. "You are so beautiful." 

After dropping her hand, she turned and walked over to the bed. She sat down and stared at him; the light in her eyes, blazing with wicked desire. 

In a firm seductive tone, she gave him an order. "Take off the robe, now." 

Heat flared in his cheeks as he untied the cloth belt. The garment slid off of his shoulders and fell to his feet. 

Every inch of his bared skin tingled as the woman gazed at him. 

Sesshomaru could almost feel the sensual burn of woman's eyes as they traveled slowly over his body. 

The woman raised her hand and motioned an invitation. "Come, my beautiful pet." 

(Lemon scene)see... it's the marker 

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Never taking his eyes off of the woman, Sesshomaru moved to the bed with slow steps. 

The miko watched him intently. He stopped before the woman who was sitting on the dark quilts which covered her bed. 

She laughed. "I release you from your last command. You do not have to look at me if you do not wish to." 

Immediately, Sesshomaru looked away. 

A warm hand touched him where no being had ever touched him before. 

Shutting his eyes, the dog demon steadied himself. 

She gave a command in a low tone. "Lie down, Youkai." He opened his eyes but avoided looking at the female. 

The woman moved over as he lay on the bed beside her. 

On his back, Sesshomaru stared up at the ceiling. 

In the corner of his vision, he glimpsed at the female who began to slide out of her robe. 

Repulsion snaked its way to his stomach. 

Light fingertips played about the skin on his chest. 

Those fingers reached up to thread through his hair and caress his face. 

She spoke in an soft voice. "Did you know, demon, that there is a word tied to your collar?" 

His hackles rose. 

Her words lingered like sticky cobwebs. "I can say that word....because I am your owner....When I choose to punish you, I will use that word..And when I use that word, the pain you experience will be far beyond what you have felt so far. ..Do you want to see how it feels? Do you want me to use it?" 

Sesshomaru could not stop himself from trembling. ".....Ple....Please do not...." 

Suspision laced her tone. "Now, I would never have to use it now, would I? Have you gone and done something that I would have disaproved of? MMMMmmmm? My sweet little doggy has not disobeyed me, has he?" 

While trying not to anger the miko, he replied in a submisive and hesitant voice. "No...Master... I.....have not....." 

The woman's breathing deepened as she began fondling him. "You are such a good boy." 

A creamy thigh found it's way over his knees. 

Warm lips began their journey, placing little pecks across his chest. They traveled to his collar bone, over the metal around his throat and up to the base of his ear. 

Sesshomaru turned his head and centered his vision on the other side of the room. 

Long tendrils of hair brushed his skin, making his flesh prickle. 

The hand that held him firmly in it's grasp started to stroke gently. Soft warm breasts pressed against his side. 

Her tongue glided along his jawline, leaving a cold, wet trail. She stopped at his chin to give a playful nip. 

The sickening knot in his stomach threatened to purge itself. 

He remained motionless in the female's clutches. 

The woman ceased her movements. "What is wrong, my pet? You body is so stiff but unfortunately, the part of you that I want to stiffen, has not." 

As her body covered his, she rubbed her slick sex over that part of him which refused to react to her uninvited grinding. 

She stopped. 

A heavy breath hissed in his ear. "Why won't you respond? Do you need a little _more_ persuasion? I want you to touch me." 

While keeping his gaze to the far wall, he replied with slightly shaky words. "I don't....I...." 

She raised up and looked at him. "Your a virgin?" she sounded amused. 

He swallowed hard, degredation clawing in his gut. "I am supposed to pick out a single mate for life." 

She laughed cattily. "My dear prince, you surprise me. And that happens rarely." 

Her tone grew mildly sensual. " I will have to teach you how to please me. And that will be _my_ pleasure." 

Lowering her lips to his cheek, she spoke in a deep, husky tone between light kisses. "It is a....shame....that your waiting........was in vain, youkai.... but I promise...I will...be gentle...." 

Her hand stroked him again. "Now respond my beautiful youkai. Give in." 

He hardened under the aggressive fondling, hating his body and at the same time thanking it for saving him from her wrath. 

Sesshomaru turned his gaze to the naked woman atop him. Her skin glowed in the firelight. Perfect breasts bounced lightly. Her semi-lean body writhed with curves that would make any demonness green with envy. 

He watched as the exotic female mounted him, sliding easily over his length. Feminine hips rocked in a slow, rythmic motion, starting slow at first then increasing to a hard heated grinding. 

She bucked and he could feel the tightening of her inner walls around him. 

Heavy breathing grew into deep moans. The woman leaned down and whispered husky words of passion: of how beautiful he was, how much he filled her, what a good boy he was, and that she intended to keep him forever. 

Female arousal blocked out nearly every other scent. 

While sitting back up, she countinued the erogenous rocking and grinding. 

Just as her hot, slick walls squeezed hard around him, she threw her head back and let out a loud moan. 

On the verge of release, Sesshomaru struggled to hold it within. 

It would mean his final submission to her. 

His hands flexed then grasped the sheets so tightly he almost feared they would rip. 

Piercing his tongue with one sharp canine, Sesshomaru let the blood flow into his mouth. The act distracted him enough. 

Continuing her sensual movements, she bent down and hissed sharply in his ear. "Swallow that blood and let go." 

The dog demon complied, swallowing the thick, warm liquid, letting his saliva heal the wound. 

Grasping the female's hips, he then thrust up into her , releasing his seed within her with a vocal grunt. 

This elicited a lusty groan from the female as she shook and squeezed around him once again. 

His body spasmed in the falling aftermath of his release. 

While breathing hard, he waited for the woman who was coming down from her own pleasure to tell him what to do. She lowered and licked the rim of his ear to the pointed tip. 

In an immensely satisfied voice, she purred. "You pleased me this time, prince. I look forward to our next union." 

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(end of lemon) Raising up, she slid off of him. The smell of blood and mating clung to his senses. 

Sesshomaru did not move. 

The miko grabbed her robe. Standing up from the bed, she slipped on the silk garment. Without looking at him, she muttered a command. "Leave, return to your room. We will depart at dawn. I have much to do." 

Sesshomaru raised up. His skin was sticky with mating fluids and he smelled like _her_. 

He wanted a bath but chose not to utter his thoughts out loud. 

After getting off of the oversized bed, he picked up his robe. 

As he walked over to the door, Sesshomaru put on the garment and tied the cloth belt. 

The door creaked as he opened it, sending an echo down the hall. 

He proceeded to his room, hoping the servant girl would check up on him. And hoping she could give him water to wash off these nauseating odors clinging to his skin. 

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Ok, I would like to know how I did with this chapter. This was my first lemon. I definitely want a comment on that part. How was it? Too raunchy? Too dull? Too boring? I also hope fanfiction doesn't trash my fic for it either. I don't know what their rules are. I wish they would put up a rule page or something for this kind of thing. Next chap to _Captive_ _Soul_ will be out Friday night. Anyway, I hope all who read were entertained by this chap. Please read and review. It makes me happy! Ras. 

Review responses: 

Opaaru Tsuki: *snickers at cute review. (bad fangirl?)* lol. Ah....well... ok you can have Slave Sesshy for just a little bit. Then I want him back! muhahahah! 

Lil' Chi Chi: Did I torture him enough or should I do more? he he. Well I am thinking only 15 or so chapters for this fic. hope you got to read most of this chap. Ras. 

taskinLUDE: Now I wasn't finished with Sessy yet, as you can see in this chap. Pandora put magic in the whip. I know this had to hurt because if you watch the series. Inuyasha goes through some pretty grusome battles but comes out of them still standing even when he gets impaled or something. When Kikyo comes back and she has all that hatred in her, she attacks Inuyasha and nearly kills him by just touching him. He could barely move after Kikyo just placed her hands on him. So I know that people with miko power can inflict pain on a demon. Miko's arent always nice. Pandora has that power within her. She is suppose to return demons back to her box. But the woman has turned evil during her cursed task. Well, and kinda insane as well. 

inuficcrzy: Ah well she did have a husband in the Greek mythology. But I simply took her myth and fit it into Inuyashas storyline. I changed it a bit. She will not have a husband in this story. 

Triospade: I can't remember where I found that picture. it looks a whole lot better on my computer. the resolution is bad on ff.net. Next chappie to Captive soul will be out Friday or Saturday morning. I have got some juciy stuff in mind and I want to take my time. 

Sake Girl Duelist: I am so sorry! I didn't mean to get it spelled wrong. This better? ^_^ 

fan of story: Hey fan! hows it going? You may reconsider that statement about pandora when you see what she does later. I want people to hate her but for some reason people are gettin attached to the witch. People hate Kikyo more than her. Am I doing something wrong? Well anywho. drop me a line. Ras. 

pratz: what is via dolorosa? 

Blue Demon: Thank you for the chocolate! It fueled this chap! 

lere: now that is what I like to hear. A die hard fan of Inu and Kag being turned into a fan of Sess and Rin. Cool. 

sayah 1112: Hey sayah! Nah she doesn't heal him at any time. the wench is just too cruel. Hope you like this chap. Ras. 

And so many thank u's for the others who read and reviewed! ^_^ 

magic shield 

Assassinchick

Shinoku 

Akida 

Tatoosh 

Tenshi no Yami 

Hino Rei 

Erica 


	9. chapter 9

Author's note: For those of you who did not read the lemon, there were two important factors brought up by Pandora during the lemon. One: She mentioned a word tied to the collar. two: she asked if Sesshomaru had done anything that she would have disapproved of. Now what could he have done that would cause her to become angry? Ahhh...we will soon find out. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. 

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Chapter 9: Busted 

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Sick. If a demon could get sick then this must be what it felt like: crawling, twisting, nauseating. 

Sesshomaru entered his room and closed the door. The warmth from the blazing fire reached for him as he neared the hearth. Silently, he thanked the female servant. A large basin and a cloth had been set near the fire place. 

Untying the belt to his robe, he let the garment slip to the floor. Slowly, he lowered to his knees. 

The cloth was soft and the water, warm. 

With great care, he rubbed the wet cloth against his skin while he stared into the flames. 

It had been his first time. 

Witch. 

He hated her. 

She had taken what should have been his to give to his life mate. 

His heated skin dried quickly before the flickering flames. 

A hint of spice tickled his nose. 

The water had been scented. 

It helped. 

But her stench lingered in his mind and her ghostly touches whispered across his flesh. 

His thoughts wandered; trying to escape this place, her smell, those ghosts. 

While performing the simple motion of cleansing, he wished for the impossible: for those damn, degrading sensations to wash away as well. 

A faint knock sounded at the door. 

So deep in the drifting evasion from reality, that his senses had failed in detecting the presense. 

Immediately, he assessed the identity of the individual. 

The dog demon relaxed. It was only the servant. 

Without getting up, he looked to the door and answered. "Yes." 

Lianna entered but as soon as her eyes fell on him, she looked away. 

A pink hue tinted her young features. 

With her gaze locked to the floor, she spoke hesitantly. "I did not.... mean to ...... interrupt. 

He did not speak, but returned his gaze to the burning flames and continued cleaning himself while staring into the fire. 

Directly, he heard the young servant girl scurry about the room. She opened the wardrobe and walked with quiet steps to his bed. 

Before leaving the room, she spoke softly. "I will return in the morning to wake you. Mistress wants you to be ready for traveling." 

He barely noticed the clink of the latch when the door closed. Sesshomaru laid the cloth by the basin of water and rose from the kneeled postion. 

Walking over to the futon, he noticed the girl had set out some clothes for him. He dressed then sat upon his bed. 

For a long time, he only starred out at nothing. 

Gone, all of it: 

his freedom.....stolen. 

his power... lost 

his title... stripped, 

his dignity... ravaged, 

and his pride.... shattered. 

His soul had been emptied of everything. 

All that he was, he could feel slipping away into a darkness he may never resurface from. 

He was drowning. 

His spirit was dying. 

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Sesshomaru sat on the chair, gazing at the glowing embers amongst the ashes. 

The sun had not risen yet and he had awakened long before Lianna entered the room. 

She carried a covered tray over to the small bedside table and did not look at him. "I have come early. I made you some breakfast. You may want to eat before you leave. Mistress does not need to eat. She may not let you hunt while you travel." 

With that, she bowed once and left the room. 

He rose and inspected the meal, finding it quite close to his tastes. 

After eating, the dog demon set about the task of readying himself for the journey. He had dressed the night before; and now he attached his weapons to his belt. The kimono was good for travel. But he refrained from wearing his breast plate. If perchance they came upon a powerful rogue demon, he may have the good fortune of being removed from this plane of existence, thus escaping from this nightmare. And escaping from _her_. 

Just as he had fininshed the preparations, his hackles rose. 

He shuddered once then regained his composure before the door opened. 

Her cloaked form stood in the doorway. The woman's sultry voice sounded from beneath the hood. "Come, my youkai slave. I have much to do and I wish for you to follow me. Let us depart." 

He took one step forward but stopped when she held her hand up. 

A sickenly sweet smile played on her rose red lips. "Oh, and another thing. I want you to kneel before me from now on and I want you to call me Mistress, preferrably over Master." 

Swallowing hard, he did as instructed and fell on his knees before her, keeping his eyes on the floor. "Mistress." 

With a derisive laugh, she ran her fingers through his hair. "My, my, you are such a good boy." 

He could not help but grit his teeth as her long nails scraped his scalp. 

She bent down and her hot breath prickled his ear. "You learn well, we will have much fun, my pet." 

With that, she raised up. "Rise. It is time we leave." 

He stood up and fell in behind his new Mistress. 

They left the stone, cottage like dwelling, and walked out into the early morning air which hung heavy with daybreaking mist. 

Onward they trekked: through the thick trees, beyond oozing marshes and into a dark and dreary forested land. Along the way, he stole quick glances at the sun and surroundings, inwardly trying to determine what lands they tread upon. 

Soon they came to another clearing. This one too, much the same as the others had been. And in the center, rested an iron like cage. 

They neared the trap and he heard scuffling as if someone raising to their feet. He honed his sharp senses in order to find out just who or what had been unwittingly trapped this time. 

A faint odor of electrical youkai energy lingered in the air a little ways from their location, leading up to the snare. He guessed the victim to be an elemental demon, probably lightening. A rough voice boomed from the trap. "Who dares to cage me! I will kill the wretched piece of dung that has dared to ensnare one of the Thunder Brothers!" 

They neared the bars. Yes, it was an elemental demon. A grotesque creature which resembled a large fish like animal. And by the looks of him he had been there awhile. He could tell by the shallow, gaunt features his entrapment had lasted at least one moons cycle. His Mistress stopped several paces away from the front of the trap, close to a fallen log. 

The elemantal demon stretched one arm through the bars and shouted. "Who are you?! Why not come closer so I can greet you properly?! Perhaps you be the ones who think that they can hold me...Monten.. one of the Thunder Brothers and bringer of most painful deaths?!" 

He patiently waited next to his Mistress as she produced the box which reaped demon souls. 

The thunder demon grabbed the bars and sneered. "What is this I see? A mutt and a human?" His laughter boomed. "I will blast you into the next world for this. Release me!" 

It did not take long. The invading mist found it's prey and attacked. Iron like walls fell and vanished. Only a husk remained. Just as they turned to leave, the hollow shell began to crumble, scattering like dust in the slight breeze. 

As the days wore on, the same scene played itself over and over again. Within three days: two wolf, six spider, one bear, ten crow, and one swan youkai met their end. 

Wiping the blood from his hand, he sighed. She had made him kill the swan youkai. It's snow white feathered beauty would never grace water ever again. 

He looked up to the sky as they continued on. Dark clouds loomed in the evening sky. As they approached a somewhat mountainous terrain, little sprinkles began to fall. 

Pointing to a rocky hillside, his Mistress gave him an order. "Carry me to that cave. We will stay there tonight." 

He did as ordered. After setting his Mistress on her feet, he waited. The dark cavern smelled like old earth but at least it was dry. 

She turned to him and removed her hood. With an amused smile, his Mistress nudged his chest. "Sit down, my pet." 

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Morning did not arrive quick enough and it found him sitting on the cold earth, resting his forehead on his knees. 

It had rained some during the twilight, but he had hardly noticed. 

Memories of last night tormented him in dawns light.....making him shiver with a pain he had not known existed. 

In this cave...... she had made him.....do things.......and she had.......she had.... ....twisted......what she did....... 

His Mistress's voice, near the back of the cavern, whispered an order. "Go to the stream nearby, clean up, hunt, find your nourishment, then return before midday." 

Sesshomaru rose on shaky legs then left the cave. 

Finding the stream, he hurried to the grassy edge and fell to his knees. Immediately, he cupped the cool water in his clawed hands. 

But he did not drink at first. Several times, he filled his mouth with water only to spit it out again. He desperately needed to remove that disgusting, nauseating taste from his tongue. 

He gagged once as bile gurgled up into his throat. Then he vomited. The yellowish spew floated downstream. 

After purging, he began to drink freely to satiate the thirst which had followed the vile retching. 

The restraint gave a warning jolt. Quickly, he removed his clothes and slid into the water. As the coldness swept over his skin, the inu youkai waded for a while and looked up to the blue, cloudless sky. 

He closed his eyes and let the water soothe some of the sickness away. Not knowing how much time he had, Sesshomaru cleaned up then climbed out of the flowing torent. 

Shaking the wetness from his hair, he walked over to his garments. 

He dressed. 

For a moment, he stood still, listening to the wilderness around him and sniffing the air for possible quarry. 

Jumping up into a tree, he reached out with all senses. 

Presently, the distant scent of a male stag whispered on the wind. 

Without hesitation, he sprang from the large branch to begin the hunt. 

The kill had been clean, one slice to the throat. 

Relishing in the rendering of flesh, Sesshomaru tore into his prey and ate till satisfied. 

Licking the blood from his lips and claws, he left the half eaten carcass behind and headed for the stream. 

While running to the water, he looked up. 

The sun had nearly risen to the apex of the sky. 

He must return soon. 

Crouching by the rippling water, he proceeded to clean the remaining blood from his skin. Something rustled in the bushes on the other side of the stream. 

He did not move. 

It was a youkai. 

A powerful one. 

Silently, he stood and waited. 

Directly, the undergrowth parted. 

A demon emerged. Eyes alight with static fire glared at him. "Who may you be?" 

This was his chance. Sesshomaru growled at the male youkai. 

With a flip of his long black braid, the demon laughed. "You wish to fight?" 

He growled louder and flexed his claws. 

An electric current flashed from the forked staff the elemental demon carried. "Then you wish to die!" 

Closing his eyes, the dog demon waited for his end; but it did not come. 

Upon opening his eyes, he found the youkai hovering before him in mid air. 

The demon seemed bewildered, looking around as if he sensed something. 

He sighed when he sensed the same thing. "Damn it." 

His Mistress walked up behind him. 

The youkai hovered backwards, away from them both. 

In a soft, silky tone, she addressed the youkai. "May I ask, why you decided to attack one of my servants?" 

The thunder demon gave no reply and stared in confusion at his Mistress who now stood beside him. 

With a laugh, she raised her hand. "I think you had better leave now, youkai." 

The puzzlement in the youkai's eyes turned into a spark of fear. 

In a flash of light, the elemental demon vanished in retreat. 

Without looking at him, she walked into the shadows of the forest. "Come." 

The day wore on as they traveled through the dense wood. 

Soon, they came to a large, open, green field. 

His Mistress stopped at the edge of the great expanse of grass. 

Faint laughter tinkled in the distance. 

Tilting his head, he centered on the sound. Straining to see, Sesshomaru gazed at the swaying reeds. 

Directly, his sights fell on the sporadic movement beneath the wavering weeds. 

Not to far from them, a small youkai ran out from the tall grass. 

The young tyke was giggling with merryment. 

Sesshomaru blinked. 

No. 

He clenched his fists tight to stop the tremors. 

No. 

The child fox youkai stopped and turned his head in their direction. 

No.

He tried to hide his rising panic. 

The wind began to blow about them. 

Please No. 

His Mistress turned to him and smiled wickedly. "I wonder. Can you tell me why that little fox youkai is still alive?" 

The pounding of his heart coupled with his quickened breathing. 

"I......." 

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Ras here. It seems Sess is in some big trouble! Hope all who read were entertained. Please review! 

Review responses: 

jbramx2: Thank you for your compliments. I had been wanting to use her for a long time. She is quite a character. And I am enjoying developing her. ^_^. 

Queen of Hyper Psychos: Ebay? Really? OH now I got to check that out! Thanx! 

Akida: Ah Akida, Shi'an is male. And you will soon find out just what he is or get a very good idea. 

Sake Girl Duelist: SGD? do you have a whole arsenal in there somewhere? lol. 

fan of story: Yes will we see more of the servant girl soon. And her character will be part of the small plot I have going here. Ras. ^_^ 

taskinLUDE: Shi'an will be explained later. He is not a mystery to me but to Sess he is. You will have to see about Lianna. All I will say is that she is vital to this story. Ras. ^_^ 

inuficcrzy: Well I can't really say about Shi'an or Lianna. They both tie into my little plot here. And both are vital characters. By the end of this story you will know a good bit about them. Ras. ^_^ 

magic shield: I made a promise? oOpps don't remember. eeps. 

Lil' Chi Chi: Oh yes, mental torture comming up. Yes, she is slowly breaking him. Ah, yes, Lianna and Shi'an are my secretive characters which have to be revealed as chapters go by. Thanx for the cookies and cream! Ras. 

Thanx to all others who reviewed. And thanx for the uplifting comments about the lemon. Ras. ^_^ 

dangerous-beans 

Sunflowerseed 

mikomi 

Tenshi no Yami 

Erica 

AsianEyes 

Blue Demon 

Opaaru Tsuki 

Tatoosh 

and Moonlit Shadow 


	10. chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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Last time on Captured Soul: His Mistress turned to him and smiled wickedly. "I wonder. Can you tell me why that little fox youkai is still alive?" 

The pounding of his heart coupled with his quickened breathing. "I....." 

_____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 10: True torture. 

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Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the swift movement of the fox child as it flitted back into the tall grass. At least the young one may escape, that is, if his Mistress did not order him to go after the child. If she did; this time, he may not be able to bring the kit fox back with his sword: One reason, she may not let him. Another reason, he did not know if Tenseiga worked twice. 

The only way to keep the child safe would be to distract his Mistress long enough for the kit to get away. But the simple task of distracting his Mistress may not be a hard one. Her adept attention centered only on him for the moment. He shuddered at the fierceness in the she witch's glare. A blazing fire ignited within her obsidian depths. It traveled to the smooth contours of her ageless beauty, turning them sinister. The wicked smile faded to a tight thin line, a slash of red against her alabaster features. 

Sesshomaru knew this was not good. 

The impatience in her voice startled him. "Answer Me!" 

He dared not move but looked down to the flattened grass at his feet. "I..... I do not know." 

A harshness carried in her tone. "You cannot lie to me, Youkai! If you do not wish to voluntarily tell me why that fox child is still alive, there are other ways of loosening that forked tongue of yours!" 

His instincts were screaming again to flee, for her scent carried a mixture of anger and intensifying powerful magic. 

But then his Mistress took a step towards him and her voice grew softer only not in a pleasant way. "I do not want to order you to tell me the truth, for it matters not how the little bastard got away. But I wouldn't mind giving you something that will make you reconsider ever disobeying me again. Oh, yes, I will enjoy giving you what you deserve, you low life piece of filth." 

Her light footfalls wisped through the tall grass, away from him. "Come." 

Even though he had received no punishment, he still inwardly shook from her future promise of pain. 

How much could he endure before he went mad? 

He had a feeling he would soon find out. 

Silently, he followed his Mistress. 

----------------------------------------------------- 

They traveled back the way they had come, retracing almost imperceptible paths. 

Several times they stopped but not for rest. To his utter degredation, the short stays along the way back were for her pleasure and his pain. 

It got to where everytime she raised a delicate hand in the air, he flinched. 

And every time, he was not allowed to recover from the putrid stimulations that left him cringing in a tight ball on the mossy ground. 

Somewhere in his scattered mental mussings, he knew. He knew what she was doing to him may involve some sort of torture of the mind. But he was powerless to stop it. For he had no defence against this immortal creature. He could block his thoughts from her but he could not keep her power from raping and ravaging his mind and spirit. 

Each time it became more painful. It almost seemed as if her episodes of torture were building up to something. 

It did more than bother him. 

It terrified him. 

At last they ventured into familiar territory; the dense broad trees covered with strangling vines, the magical barrier, and then the stone cottage which he now called his prison. 

He despondently looked up to gray and white clouds. 

No. 

His prison had no walls. 

His slavery had no chains. 

His servitude was for life. 

His life now had no meaning....except to serve his owner. 

It had taken five days of travel. Now, as his Mistress neared her dwelling, her voice whispered along the evening wind, carrying her destined promise back to him. "You will not be going in. Follow me." 

Instead of going in the front entrance, his Mistress began to go around the stone structure. He followed her steps along a worn pathway among the short grass. The slightly dusty path edged the side of the dwelling and led to the back. Tall, thick, trees lined up together several paces away, almost forming some sort of fence. 

She led him to a set of large oak trees that stood about four or five paces apart from each other. One faced the stone dwelling. The other tree behind the first, hidden from the view of the cottage. 

His Mistress cupped her mouth with both hands and screeched once. The sound blistered his sensitive ears. 

Seconds later, a loud crashing drew near. It sounded as if a great giant had decided to go for an afternoon walk. The ground shook with each booming step. 

Within moments, something big and hairy parted the tall oaks with ease. 

Sesshomaru looked up. The monster was at least thirty feet high. 

It's immense hands were the size of mountain boulders. From what he could tell of the creature's face in the dimming light, it had catlike features. 

The strangest thing he noticed was that the tremendous ogrish beast had no identifiable scent. It smelled neither youkai or human, maybe some sort of animal, but definitely male. 

He tensed and laid one hand on Tojkin, ready for battle. 

Raising a hand, his Mistress gave him a command. "Do not fight against my servant, my pet. Or you will pay." 

She then called out in a language unknown to him. 

A second later, a large clawed hand covered with fur blotted out the darkening evening sky. The claw wrapped around him and squeezed. 

He grunted, fighting the urge to cry out. 

It felt as if his bones were being crushed to the point of breaking. 

The hand lifted his body then placed him in between the two large oaks and held him there. 

He sucked in a lung full of air when the hand loosened just enough to allow him to breathe. 

As his Mistress sauntered up to him, she lowered her dark grey hood. This time her voice slithered silkily from her glistening lips. "Put your hands on each tree, palms out, facing me." 

He did as ordered, shakily digging his arms out from the creature's hold and spreading them to each tree. 

She smiled sadistically then raised her hands to his right wrist. In one hand she held a metal mallet of some sort, in the other hand a long, thick metal spike. He swallowed hard as the metal tools began to glow. The light sparkled and reflected in her eyes. With slow, methodical movements, she placed the sharp tip of the spike to his wrist. He could feel the cold tip prick his skin. 

He waited. 

And she seemed to be waiting also. 

With a sudden cruel laugh and one quick stroke of the glowing hammer, his Mistress nailed the metal spike through his wrist, pinning his arm to the tree. 

The glowing metal spike had been driven in between bone. 

Power seared up into his arm, to his shoulder, and through his body. 

Clenching his eyes shut, he let out a loud yelp. 

His body wrenched with the pain while trying to escape the hold on him. 

But it was no use. The giant creature squeezed tighter, keeping him from moving away. 

Incredibly, even through the pain, he had kept his other hand in place. 

He barely noticed as his Mistress walked around the pair of trees. But he did notice when she began to repeat the last action. 

Without knowing, he let out a faint whimper when the pointed tip of another metal spike touched his left wrist. Again, he felt metal pierce his flesh, sending shockwaves into every part of his body. 

An earspitting cry tore from his lips then died to gasps and pants. 

The enormous hand holding him let go. 

He slumped forward as his knees bent slightly. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth when the involuntary motion caused a sickenly painful jolt from the pull at his wrists. 

Regaining some balance, he relieved the pressure on his wrists by standing somewhat. 

The metal spikes holding him burned and he could smell his blood as it poured from the wounds and dripped it's way down the bark of the tree. 

Another loud screech bit the air, much the same as the one before. 

In the now darkening surroundings, he lifted his head to see the giant turn and leave. 

Seconds later, the sound of the booming footsteps through the forest abruptly stopped. 

His wrists throbbed with the beat of his heart. 

The darkness became thicker. But the eerie light from the spikes holding him, radiated a soft luminance on the woman standing nearby. 

She smiled faintly. "How does it feel, my pet? How does it feel to be nailed to those trees?" 

He looked away from the satisfaction in her voice and stared out at the blackness of the forest. 

"What's this? Still some fight in you I see." She let out a sigh. "It seems I must continue to train you.....to teach you.....but most importantly..... to punish you." 

He felt her hands slide up around his waist and his jaw tightened when they slid down into clothes. 

A sultryness floated from his Mistress. "How does _that_ feel? Do you like it? I think you do. I think you want me to train you. I think....somewhere down deep inside.....you are just begging me to give you all the pleasure and punishment you need." 

Her hands untied his belt and opened his shirt, exposing his skin to the night air. "I will give you a choice......My Prince......" 

A wetness touched his chest once. "....You can either.....stay here and be punished however I see fit.....or.......you can join me in my bedchambers for the next few days." 

Tearing his eyes from the pitch black of the wood, he glared down at the she witch. "I hate you. Your touch sickens me." 

The fierceness in her eyes returned with a vengence. "You have made your choice." 

She backed away from him then turned and left in the direction of the stone dwelling. "So be it." 

Sesshomaru looked down and closed his eyes. He knew the wait would not be a long one. He could smell her anger and irritation. She would return soon. 

As he waited, small sounds of the night began their lonely song: A cricket chirped in a bush close by. A small animal scuffled, digging in the dirt a few paces away. One lone bird of twilight hooted in a distant tree. 

Trying to ease the throbbing ache in his arms and shoulders, he breathed in and out in a slow rhythm. 

His sensitive ears picked up nearing footsteps. 

He sniffed once. The footfalls belonged to his owner. 

Looking away, he stared into the darkness. 

Directly, the steps halted before him. 

Something tugged at his weapons, removing them from his belt. 

She quipped in a tight, agitated tone. "You will not need these for now." 

A clanking noise sounded at his feet. She had dropped Tenseiga and Tojkin on the ground. Deep inside, a brief question flashed across his mind. How could she touch Tojkin? 

Her steps then rounded the large oak trees and stopped at his back. 

Along with a violent tug, a ripping accompanied the removal of his upper garment, leaving two small tattered pieces of each sleeve. 

He did not move and remained rigid, readying himself as much as he could for what was to come. Although, he had no idea exactly what was to come. 

Something yanked at his hair, pulling it back and forth, then throwing it in a rough braid over his shoulder. 

A gingling caught his attention. 

In a sudden flashback, he remembered the tinkling of the metal tips on the end of each of the leather straps...when she had.....hurt him before. 

A dizzyness swept over him at the unnerving memory. 

The ground swayed somewhat from under him. 

Catching his fear, he steadied himself. 

No.... 

He could......take it....this time. 

He would not let her......break him.....make him beg....again. 

A loud crack cut the air and with it the skin on his upper back. 

He grunted while gritting his teeth. 

Anther sharp crack followed. 

Sesshomaru lurched forward, almost crying out at the combined pain of several rends of flesh and the excruciating pulling at his wrists shooting intense bursts of sharp painful stabs of fire down his arms. 

The smell of his blood now filled the air. 

It oozed down the torn muscles of his backside. 

His vision fell longingly to the ground he so wanted to lay upon. 

She repeated the constant, almost unbearable lashings, one after another, until his hisses and grunts turned to rasping pants, then to yelps, then to agonizing howls. And finally, his mind shut down, scarcely able to comprehend the reality which seared on into the witching hour. 

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The blackness lightened. 

A faint chirping herald the dawning light. 

Sesshomaru lifted his head then opened his eyes to the rising sun filtering in between the trees. 

He winced at the stiffness in his arms and shoulders as his body hung from duel pains at his wrists. 

Looking over and up, he could see that he remained pinned to the old oaks. 

Crusty brown and black blood covered his wrists where the metal spikes had been driven through. 

As his consciousness returned so did the increasing pain. 

He grunted and tried to make his feet hold him up. 

With the intended movement, he flinched. 

Another, more intense sensation of pain, flared at his backside. 

He grimaced and hung limply again, the agony in the torn muscle and bone of his back overriding the pain from his wrists. 

He could feel reality beginning to fade away again. 

He was doing it more and more often now. 

Soon, all that would prevail.....would be.....nothing. 

The fall would be a short one........down....into the emptiness...... unable to.....return....to climb out of the dark...black...void. 

And she would have him totally in her twisted grip. 

Licking his dry lips, he swallowed. 

A part of him which he did not know existed began to whisper from the deep recesses of his mind. _'Do it.' _It said. _ 'When or if she lets you down......Do it...set ___yourself free....she could no longer hurt you then....you would be free of her.' 

He shook his head and pushed that small part of him down with another part. 

The part which held the last thread of himself in a solid protective embrace: His Honor. 

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The light of the sun warmed his shoulders. He woke from a dream of death to the padding of sandled feet over young grass. 

He coughed once and opened his eyes. Blurry vision came into focus on the large pool of black and brown at his feet. 

Sluggishly, he moved one foot cautiously. Breathing deeply, he put weight on it. A small hint of hope urged him forward to try the other leg. 

The pain had died to endurable levels and he could now stand shakily on both of his feet. 

At least this time she had not infused so much magic into the whip. That much he knew. For if she had... he would have suffered far worse. 

A tinge of sickness knotted in him at the thought of how that powerful magic had.....seeped into his body and...... made him..beg for his Master.....This time though...she had only......done more physical damage. 

As he went through the agonizing motions of regaining some sense of balance, the padding of feet drew closer. Raising his head, he glanced to the right to see a form drawing near. Grunting, he stood taller, even though the pinned position kept him from straightening his knees out. 

Conserving his strength, Sesshomaru refrained from using his senses to discern just who it was that approached. 

He stared out ahead of him into the forest, ignoring everything. 

Seconds later, the servant girl entered his line of vision. 

He averted his eyes, not wanting to see her pity or contempt. 

Hesitantly, she took a step forward. "I....came to give you some water. My lady ordered me to bring you some water." 

Letting out a breath, he turned his head. "Go away." 

The girl before him only sighed. "Please?....Drink?" 

He gritted his teeth. "Leave....now!" 

Her small footsteps backed up some but then edged around him. 

Jerking his head toward the female whose steps were leading her to his backside, he snarled. "Leave bitch!" 

Without acknowledging the command, she continued to walk past him. 

Stabs of pain ripped through his body as he tried to turn his head to peer over his shoulder but the effort was in vain. He could not. 

Sesshomaru clenched his eyes shut and ground out a rough warning. "If you do not leave...I will....." 

His barking comment was cut short by her sharp intake of air. 

He lowered his chin to his chest. "Damn it." 

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Sesshomaru heard the girl take a step back, away from him. 

He strained with the humiliation of someone, especially human, seeing him like this. 

She had seen his wounds before but he had been unconscious at first and exhausted and sleeping throughout his healing process. This time it was different: the Great Prince of the Western Lands nailed, pinned to a tree, broken and mutilated, helpless against anyone who might take a notion to causing him pain. 

His ears burned with it: the hot shame of being at another's mercy: defenseless. 

The young female servant suddenly broke off in a run away from him. 

He could hear her quickened paces rush through the grass. 

Thankfully, now, he was alone. He could suffer in peace. 

But his peace did not last long for the young girl returned. 

He only caught a glimpse of her light colored servants dress in the corner of his eye, for she had avoided being seen by going behind the trees and behind him. 

The young female's voice rose slightly above a whisper. "These cuts are deep.....I....can see your....." 

She stopped with a faint swallowing sound but then continued. "If these cuts become red you could get the fever." 

"Demons do not get sick." he informed flatly. 

"Does it hurt?" she asked. 

Sesshomaru did not reply. 

Then there came a sloshing sound like liquid being shaken inside a wooden bottle. 

The young female spoke again. "I am going to put a medicinal wash on your wounds. It will help lessen the pain." 

He did not move, only waited. 

A cool wetness splashed over his back, dripping into the lacerations, soaking into the flesh. It smelled of herbs and fresh water. 

The pain did lessen. 

As the girl walked around the large oak, he turned his head away. 

She stopped in front of him. "Will you please drink now?" 

For a moment he stared out into the forest then turned his head and looked at the young girl. 

Surprised to see the depth of empathy in her green eyes, he nodded. 

She lifted a small bowl to his lips. The cold water tasted good, wetting the dryness in his throat. 

After drinking, he watched the young girl pick up a gourd at her feet then walk back to the stone cottage. 

Closing his eyes, he slumped, grimacing at the pain in his wrists. 

Falling slack, Sesshomaru eased into a deep, healing sleep. 

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A pain in his right side woke him, raising his head, he opened his eyes to see his Mistress standing before him. He flinched. 

She had an unusual smile upon her glistening lips. "Sleep well?" 

Afternoon crickets chirped close by. "Yes Mistress." 

Her smile grew wider. "How much punishment do you need today, my pet?" 

Making his face as unreadable as possible, he replied. "As much as you see fit, Mistress." 

With a simple nod she raised her hand. In it, a gold dagger glittered in the sunlight. 

She studied the weapon with a hint of a smile. "It will be painful, my pet. more so than last night. You see. I held my power back in last night's session. I am sure you noticed this. Just a taste really. In fact, I plan on increasing my power every training session until you realized how much you enjoy my company...how much you like for me to......hurt you." 

She lowered the dagger till the sharp tip dug into his chest. 

He did not move. Licking her lips, she moved her hand and caressed his cheek. "Do you want me to punish you?" 

Staring fixedly into her black, fathomless pools, he nodded once. 

A pain scorched it's way into his skin. Clenching his eyes shut, he hissed and moved as much as he could away from the point of the blade. 

His Mistress voice smoothed out a reprimand. "Uh Uh Uh. I do not wish for you to move. Stay still." 

With his eyes shut, he froze. 

Again, another burning pain shot into him as the edge of the knife sliced flesh from his chest to his navel. His canines nearly bit into his tongue at the sheer intensity of the rending sensation. 

It stopped. 

In a voice, little more than a whisper she cooed. "Do you like it? Do you want me to give you more?" 

Without moving he gasped out "Yes, please, Mistress, give me more. I.....deserve to be punished." 

She continued slashing at nearly every part of his flesh until night fall. 

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For three days, his Mistress came to him, each day she brought with her a new toy. 

Blood soaked the ground at his feet. 

And the servant girl had not returned at all. 

At the end of the third day, his Mistress strolled out in the evening light. 

He now hung limply by his pinned wrists and listened as her footfalls neared him. 

In a voice he did not know was his, he greeted her. "My Mistres, forgive me. I cannot kneel before you. Can you punish me now?" 

Her harsh laugh rung in the air. "Yes, but it will be a little different this time, my pet. Look at me." 

He did as ordered and raised his dulled vision to her. 

She smiled wickedly. 

The dog demon inwardly winced. 

While tracing his bottom lip with the end of her finger, she spoke in a sickenly sweet tone. "Remember.....youkai....when I told you that a word was tied to your collar?" 

He shuddered. "Yes, Mistress." 

Dropping her hand, she continued. "For your final lesson I will speak this word. Remember.....the pain will be far greater than any you have felt. Do you need to be punished for disobeying me, demon? Should I give you the gift of true torture? Beg me for it.....Dog........Beg." 

His heart pounded with fear. "Please.....I beg you.....punish me." 

Her smile could have melted the sun. "Good boy." 

She backed away from him and tilted her head. "Shi...me...ru" 

The metal restraint on his neck tightened and squeezed, crushing his throat. Unable to breathe or speak, he arched his back as a power surged from the collar and entered his body. 

It tore into him, a hell's fire so horrid it felt as if his very soul was contorting with it. 

His thoughts centered only on the pain; the excruciating, mind numbing agony that went beyond anything he had ever experienced. 

For what probably only lasted minutes, it seemed like hours as he trembled with the agony. 

At last the torture ended and the collar loosened. 

He coughed and his body shook from the action. 

Warm, wet, coppery liquid dribbled from his lips, falling in drops to the grass, splattering scarlet on the lush green. 

A soft hand cupped his cheek. "How was that, my pet. Did you....enjoy it?" 

Nodding his head, he gurgled out a reply. "It felt good....yes...I..enjoyed it... It brought me great pleasure. Can you.....punish me more now Mistress?" 

With a wistful expression, she shook her head. "You have learned well, my pet. Sleep." 

Darkness overtook him. 

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Yep folks, just a few more chaps and this will be finished. I may hold off on Captive Soul some to finish this. It seems going from Horror to Romance warps my brain. @_@. I hope all who read were entertained. Thanks to those who read and reviewed. Ras. 

Review responses: 

fan of story: What is Ai Yori Aoshi? And where can you find it? 

Tenshi no Yami: Yep it is Shippoh 

Blue Demon: This story is almost completed. Actually I have almost decided to end this one before I put out any more Captive soul. This will be about 12 to 15 chaps. 

Liza: thank you for the comment about the lemon. I tried to be tasteful. 

taskinLUDE: Now as Pandora said in the first few chaps she does not go out purposely hunting youkai. Any who fall into her trap though belong to her. Hiten sensed Pandora's power and high tailed it out of there. He was looking for Manten at the time. Seems he does not know what has befallen his brother yet. He may get it too don't know yet. Pain brings about strange personality changes to our Youkai. As you will notice in this story. But in Captive Soul it is Love that brings the changes in strength and character. 

And many thanks to all other's who reviewed. I love your comments. They help my writing sharpen. 

Akida 

Musume Tsuki 

Johanna Gen 

mikomi Tatoosh 

Lil' Chi Chi 

Erica 

Sunflowerseed 

Vorsith 

Henti Jane 

and Queen of Hyper Psychos 


	11. chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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Chapter 11: 

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Sesshomaru's eyes slid open to a dark room. A small fire crackled, illuminating the chair, the floor and part of the futon he lay upon. 

He groaned. Every part of his body ached. 

Lifting his left hand in a slow gradual movement, he looked at his wrist. It had been bandaged. In fact, under the covers, he could feel many wrappings scrapping against the sheets. Someone had even bandaged his.....he swallowed. 

He knew better than to try to get up this time. His Mistress had given him many wounds which would require a great deal of time to heal. 

As he watched the fire from his position on the bed, he blinked back some of the wetness threatening to spill. 

She had....hurt him in ways he had never heard of. 

A faint knocking at the door made him start. 

Closing his eyes, he feigned sleep as the door opened and someone entered. 

Immediately, he knew by small steps and the smell of wild spring flowers that it was the servant girl. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes. 

The young female went about the usual task of tending the fire. 

She turned to him and blinked through the semi darkness, trying to ascertain whether he were awake or not. 

Lightly, she eased over to his bed and kneeled before him. "Is there anything you need? Do you want something to eat?" 

He looked up to the young girl. "Water....please?" 

Her brow creased with worry for a moment. "Do you feel well?....That is the first time you have....said please." 

An emptiness flooded him, coursing over his soul as he averted his gaze away from her. "I....hurt....but it is good....My Mistress....she is good to me. She gives me....pain." 

Hesitantly, she stood up but left the room quickly. 

Liana came back a few moments later with a large pot filled with water and a wooden cup. She kneeled by him once more. "You will have to sit up some to drink." 

He complied but not without great effort. He drank greedily from the cup she held, for his hands did not work right yet and could not hold the small cup. 

Sesshomaru could not remember when he had tasted water this sweet or cold. 

After he had finished all of the water from the clay pot, he laid back down on his stomach. 

He stared at he flames as the emptiness gathered stronger, invading his spirit. 

Liana delicately smoothed some of his hair away from his cheek. 

His breathing deepened and the scent of despair, not his own, filled his senses. 

Looking up, he could see green eyes, misted with unshed tears. 

She touched his hair and face with light caresses. It felt nice. A slight quivering came to her bottom lip. 

In a tiny voice tainted with sorrow, she whispered. "She broke you....didn't she." 

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The aroma of cooked venison tingled his nose. 

His mouth watered and his stomach rumbled, pulling him out of his healing sleep. 

Licking his lips, his vision fluttered open to dim sunlight peeking in from the small window close to the bed. 

A whimper escaped from his throat when he tried to move. 

No. 

He was hungry. 

He wanted to eat. 

Liana entered into his line of sight. 

She smiled. "You have been asleep for almost two days. Are you hungry?" 

He nodded his head. 

She sat on a small stool near his bed, next to him. 

In her lap she placed a plate covered with roasted meat. 

Without protest, he let her feed him. 

When she had finished helping him eat, the young female put the dish away. 

Turning to him, she asked. "Can I look at the wounds on your back?" 

He said nothing and she seemed to take it as his consent. 

Moving his hair out of the way, she pushed the covers back and proceeded to look under some of the wrappings. 

Her words carried a hopeful tone. "Your injuries are healing fast. You should be able to get up soon." 

With skillful hands, Liana removed most of the wrappings on his back then washed his skin with a wet cloth. 

After spreading a herbal substance on his skin, she bandaged the cuts once more. 

While her small, gentle hands eased some of his ache, he chanced a question. "Is.....Mistress here?" 

Liana sighed. "No....she departed for one moon's cycle." 

He held his breath. "Was she.....angry?" 

The young girl shook her head. "No...My Lady's mood seemed very light." 

Letting out the breath he was holding, he asked another question. "When did My Mistress leave?" 

"My Lady left the day you were taken down.....I am sorry.....I did not come back....while you were.......My lady commanded me not to go back out to you. She kept me under her eye. I would have secreted out at night but I was.......afraid of what she might do to you if she were to find out." 

He asked nothing else, choosing instead to fall back into the land of dreams: his only refuge. 

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An afternoon breeze blew in from the open window. 

He blinked. 

How long had he been asleep? 

A tremor took him as the thought that he may have slept long enough for his Mistress to return. 

As his trepidation evolved into slight panic, the dog demon tried to move. 

Sitting up, he realized the cuts had healed, yet ached somewhat. 

Inwardly, he mussed that it must be the magic which prolonged the soreness. 

The room was quiet. 

And the fire had not been lit that morning for it had no embers. 

Glancing about the room, Sesshomaru heightened his senses. 

He relaxed. 

The only presence he could detect nearby was Liana's: a smell of kitchen spices mixed with the warmth of the sun. 

Looking down, he could see the blood soaked bandages wrapped across his chest. 

With one clawed finger, he lifted a soiled cloth to see his skin, smooth but crusty and brown, had healed completely. 

Purposely, he cut the red and brown strips of cloth from his chest, dropping them in the floor beside his bed. 

Liana's dress rustled as she walked down the hallway. 

He looked over to the open door just as the young girl entered. She wore a pretty smile and some of her long, brown hair had been braided. "You are awake, that is good. I was afraid you would sleep forever." 

He watched the girl as she brought a small, covered tray to the table close to the bed. 

Bending down, she began picking up the discarded wrappings. "Do you wish to bathe?" 

When the girl looked up to him from her position on the floor, he nodded. "Yes." 

Liana rose then walked over to the hearth. After tossing the soiled cloths onto the cold ashes, she turned to him and tilted her head. "Do you wish to eat first?" 

Letting his gaze fall to the floor, he answered. "No." 

The young girl swiftly gathered some of his garments from the wardrobe, laid them on the end of the futon then waited by the door. 

He stood up from the bed and walked slowly towards the girl. 

She led him back to the bathing room. 

Standing by the steamy, inground pool, he removed the tattered garments and soiled wrappings before slipping into the hot water. 

After picking up the dirty clothes and bandages, Liana walked out the door. She returned a few moments later. "I put fresh linen on your bed." 

She kneeled behind him. Reaching over, she picked up a small, covered clay pot. The fragrance of scented soap floated around them. 

He breathed evenly while the girl lathered and washed his hair. 

With a wet cloth, she gently scrubbed the crusty brown from his skin. 

While her small hands worked with purpose, she hummed a little then spoke. "It must be nice...bathing in My Lady's bath. I have never seen anyone else bathe in here before. I think she considers the pool sacred." 

He had closed his eyes, calmed by the water and the bathing. "How long have you been in this place?" 

She washed his shoulders. "I have been My Lady's servant for six winter seasons. My Lady found me one day. I was cold and alone. My mother and father had died of the sickness...so had most of my village....all of my friends. I stayed for about two moons in my home until.....bad men came..... They.....killed the few that were left. I ran from my home and hid from them. They took the village as their own. I dared not go back. Moma had told me about bad men.....so I fled into the forest. I survived well enough until winter. Before I froze, My Lady found me and brought me here. I have worked as her servant ever since." 

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and stared at the slow, churning water. "What is your age?" 

"I am fifteen spring seasons old." she said with a hint of pride. "Moma said I was special because I was born on the first day of flowers new bloom." 

He said nothing more and rose, the water dripped from his skin, falling in small splashes onto the tiled, stone floor. 

The young girl held out a large drying cloth while averting her eyes. "Do you wish for me to dry your hair?" 

"Yes. but not in here. Can you dry it in....the chamber where I sleep?" 

After helping him wrap the cloth about him, she shrugged. "Yes." 

With a smaller drying cloth in her hand, she walked out of the steamy room. He followed Liana to his chambers. Sitting on the bed, he watched while she started a fire. 

The futon dipped slightly when the female sat behind him. 

Taking the smaller cloth, she began to dry his silver hair. 

Warmth from the fire helped in the task and broke the slight chill from the oncoming evening. 

He felt better. Liana had made him feel......better. 

She brushed his hair after it had dried, having to take long awkward strokes just to reach the ends. 

When finished, she slipped off the futon. "Do you need anything else?" 

Sesshomaru gazed up at the young female standing by the bed and nodded his head slowly. "Yes." 

As she watched he let the cloth fall from around him. 

Pink tinted her cheeks as her green eyes looked away. "Do you need me to help you dress?" 

He rasped out deeply. "No." 

Sesshomaru grabbed her hand. The young girl had no time to realize or resist before he had her on the bed laying beside him. 

She trembled while he held her down, his chest firmly pressed against her back. 

Her silence and scent suggested that she was too frightened to speak. 

Nuzzling his nose in her hair, he inhaled the sweet fragrance: fresh water and wildflowers. 

He reached one clawed hand up to touch her cheek. She flinched. 

Undaunted, he moved his lips close to her ear and breathed out whispers in between small, light licks. 

"I want to...mate with you. 

I need to be......inside you. 

I need you....Liana." 

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Thanks to all who read and were entertained. Next chap will be intense. I won't tell you if it is a lemon or not but I will give a warning at the front of the chap if need be. No review responses this time. I wrote this while fan fiction was down. Hope you like. Please Review. Ras. 


	12. chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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Warning. Sexual content in this chapter. This is my second and last lemon of this story. There will be no more. For a more extended, graphic version of the lemon. Readers over 17 can go to Adult fanfiction.net and find this story there. Again the lemon in this chapter will be marked by this marker. Ras. *************************************************************** 

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Chapter 12: Need. 

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Liana struggled but he tightened his hold. 

His whisper came out in pleading want. "Please....I need to....touch you. I.....need your.....warmth." 

Her voice quivered with fear. "Why me?...I have not known a man before. I....do not know how to....satisfy a male......" 

He pulled part of her dress down, exposing her shoulder. 

Sesshomaru tasted the creamy white skin. "You do not have to do anything. All you must do is remain still and let me......touch you......I will be......gentle....." 

He stroked her arm and kissed over the tender white skin of her shoulder up her neck and then to the small place behind her ear. 

The young girl shook under him. 

She began to sob. 

Sesshomaru stopped. "Please.......accept me.......do not fear me...." 

Even as he caressed the smoothness of her cheek, she cried harder. 

Despaired, he let go of the frightened creature. 

At first she lay unmoving, hesitant. 

He swallowed and moved away from her some, his voice, strained and halting. "Go......you are.....free to go." 

Quickly, the young girl got up and fled from the room. 

Sesshomaru curled in on himself, shaking with something he could not understand. 

It was coming for him......a distant thunderous sound, booming closer with each beat of his heart: The darkness blanked his soul; smothering, consuming, taking control. 

Being buried by the blackness, Sesshomaru shuddered with the earth quaking thunder and with the overpowering sense of loss: loss of his identity, loss of his spirit, loss of his mind. 

He had been wrong, the fall was not short: It would be eternal. 

The dog demon lay there, shuddering, as a long, low-pitched whimper slipped out of his throat. 

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A lightness wisped over his shoulder. 

The darkness faded, replaced by the light of the fire. 

He blinked and looked up. 

Green eyes tinged with worry and some caution peered down at him. 

When his vision fell to her dress, his heart sped up. 

Liana wore a yellow silk robe, tied at the waist with a yellow belt. 

Her long brown hair lustered in the firelight. 

Sitting up on the bed, he moved away from her out of respect and covered himself. 

She tilted her head and blinked. Something in her green eyes studied him, trying to decide, but about what, he did not know. 

They remained like that for several moments. 

Finally, the pondering gleam in her green depths fell away to decision. 

He watched intently as she silently untied the belt. 

The yellow garment first bunched up over her chest as she held it there. 

Then....slowly, she let it fall to the floor. 

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. Sesshomaru, stunned, dared not move, for lest she bolt. 

Her body was lean: slender curves, well muscled arms and thighs, and semi-full but dainty hips. 

With an unreadable expression, she watched him as he gazed over her body. 

Enticed by the female before him, he could not believe how much the mere sight of her aroused him so. 

Captivated, he sniffed the air to determine her intent. 

Finding nothing but curiosity and a tinge of fear, he cautiously leaned forward and crawled, one movement at a time, towards her while keeping his eyes locked with hers. 

She did not back away. 

He stopped mere inches from the bare female. 

Reaching one clawed hand out, he froze. "Can I.....touch you?" 

Emotion softened in her green eyes as she slowly nodded once. 

Moving closer, he grasped her hips gently with both clawed hands and pulled her to him. 

She wavered on her feet, grasping his shoulders for leverage. 

Laying his cheek against her flat belly as his arms encircled her waist, embracing her, he whispered. "Are you frightened......of me.....of this....?" 

Her hands moved from his shoulder and stroked his hair. "I would be lying if I said no. I am afraid.....it will hurt....but I do not think I am afraid.....of you." 

Not quite satisified with the reply, he looked up into misty, green pools. "Do you want to mate with me?.......Are you certain you are ready?" 

She seemed to be considering his questions. 

With a deep breath, she caressed his cheek, tracing his red marking. "Yes." 

Now satisfied, he pulled the young female down to lay beside him. 

Sesshomaru did not touch her immediately but chose instead to just enjoy the feeling of being near her. 

As they lay together in the quietness, he listened to Liana's light breathing mingle with the crackle of the fire. 

Her creamy skin, radiant with the mellow light given by the flames, rose and fell in rhythm with her faint but deepening breaths. 

His gaze delighted in the softness. 

He needed her so badly; A lusterous desiring need to hold her young body and fall into the very core of her kindness and compassion. 

Sesshomaru yearned for her merciful, pure, and inviting touch, to surrender to the inner beauty, mirrored in her fair and delicate features. 

He needed her....He needed Liana. 

She was trembling again and he knew he must quell the young girl's apprehension. 

With a light touch to Liana's chin, he directed her attention to him. 

Leaning over, he pressed his lips against her soft ones, licking once across her pink bottom lip. 

Her breathing quickened and he kissed her cheek then whispered in her ear. "I promise......I will be gentle." 

Sniffing in her fragrant, brown hair, he groaned. "You smell like flowers." 

He inhaled deeply, catching every part of her scent. 

The dog demon inwardly smiled. She was not in heat. No pup would come from this union. 

"Liana...." he breathed. "....you are not in heat....we will not create a life in our mating." 

Liana's eyes were closed but she seemed to understand and nodded with a small smile. 

He caressed her face. "Liana, can I touch you?" 

She opened her eyes and gazed at him. "Yes.....but I want to know something before we.....mate." 

A little curious, the inu youkai gave a small smile. "What is it that you wish to know?" 

She looked at him with a smile of innocence. "I want to know.....your name." 

He blinked, caught offguard by the question and the hint of some foreign emotion shining in her green eyes. "I..." He hesitated. "For what little it is worth...... My name is Sesshomaru." 

The smile she wore, softened and she repeated his name under her breath in a quiet whisper. "Sesshomaru....interesting name." 

Hearing his name spoken again after so long made his heart thump hard in his chest. It was something that he had not realized was slipping away from him. 

He decided he liked hearing Liana say it. 

Liana's voice rose above the whisper. "It is worth more than the rain. I am honored you shared it with me." 

Reaching over, she grasped a lock of his silver hair, rubbing it in between her fingers. "It's so soft....and it shines when the sunlight hits it from the window." 

He gently took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers, never taking his gaze from hers. 

With a deep breath, the female pulled him closer. "I.....am ready." 

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Sesshomaru took her in his arms, kissing her body and caressing her skin. 

Liana gasped and wriggled beneath him as her fingers tangled in his hair, whispering one word with fervent need. "Sesshomaru....." 

Taking a deep breath, he laid his head on her chest, the sound of her beating heart, loud in his ear. 

Her quickened breathing slowed a pace as she panted. "Why......why did you.....stop?" 

Trying to control the overwhelming need to enter her warmth, he spoke barely above a whisper. "I....want to mate with you....to be inside you... when you......reach your pleasure." 

After a few moments, Liana's breathing calmed. 

He could wait no longer. His arousal combined with Lianna's occasional but impatient light bucks called to his instints, driving him with the ache for her. 

Raising up, he looked into green eyes overflowing with desire....for him. His silver hair fell about them, curtaining the small female beneath him, hiding their private union from the dancing shadows. 

Taking himself in his right hand, he positioned himself at her entrance. 

Slowly, by degrees, he eased into her. 

The girl beneath him struggled with their joining. 

She seemed to be caught between discomfort and frustration. 

Then, he felt it, something inside of her.....tore. 

Liana cried out and he stopped. 

The coppery smell of blood invaded his senses, confusing him. "Liana......did I hurt you?" 

She let out a low moan. "Yes.....but it is nothing, do not worry, it is meant to happen....It will...get better." 

She looked up to him and touched his cheek. 

He bent down, licked the salty drop that had fallen down her cheek and kissed her mouth until she relaxed and the pain in her scent faded away. 

Gradually, he pushed until her wet warmth accepted all of him. 

He panted with exertion while Liana adjusted to him. 

As moments passed, he nuzzled in her hair and placed small kisses on her shoulders, neck and face, pausing at times to suck tenderly on her salty, sweet skin and whisper soothing words; how pretty she was and how good she felt and how he needed her so. 

When he became certain that Liana's slight discomfort had lessened, he pulled himself out of her in one slow stroke. 

Just before the had nearly pulled all the way out, Sesshomaru thrust smoothly back into her. 

Liana gasped. 

Beginning a slow rhythm at first, Sesshomaru gradually quickened the paces. Liana's gasps matured into moans of ecstasy. 

Soon, the female beneath him began to match his rhythm. 

Sesshomaru could feel it. Liana was ascending, rising to the pinacle of her release. 

With one hard thrust, he felt her tighten around him in a sudden quivering, pulling sensation and she cried out his name. 

When her soft cry coupled with the tightness, he pulled back once more, only to thrust deeply back into her, releasing his seed while groaning with his own pleasure and breathing her name as well. 

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For several moments, they lay together, breathing heavily and trembling in the aftermath of their coupling. 

Sesshomaru rolled over, pulling her small, almost limp form with him. 

He smiled faintly, she was exhausted. 

Liana's breathing evened out as he stroked her hair. 

Soon, the young woman in his arms fell into sleep. 

Before he too drifted into a peaceful slumber, he hugged her close to him for a moment. "Thank you. Liana." 

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. Ras here, I hope all realized what exactly is happening to Sesshomaru. He felt his only hope of retaining his sanity and finding comfort lay in sharing this with Lianna. He needed to be with her to ease some of what he was going through. Liana was frightened. But more of something she had never done before and with a demon no less. 

All comments are welcome. I would like to know if his story is comming out too graphic or harsh. I have put this story up on Adult fan fiction in the NC-17 catagory. If there is anything in this story that may offend anyone. I will consider removing that part of my story on this site, since I can put up the more graphic version on Adult Fanfiction.net. Hope all were entertained. Please. Please review. Ras. 

Review responses: 

Akida: Oh, I didn't mean inflict that kind of image. Didn't occur to me at the time. 

fan of story: Now Sesshomaru can inflict any type of pain he wants on anyone else. except his owner or owner's blood kin. Lianna is not kin to Pandora. He could kill Lianna if he wanted to. Thanks so much for the info on Aoshi. I may check out the two sites you mentioned. Drop me a line. Ras. ^_^ 

Lil' Chi Chi: I am not really sure if Sessy's honor will ever be completely destroyed. It's all that keeps him from killing himself at the moment. I can't having him end his life. eeps. It's really weird. Sometimes things just seem to happen and take a course of their own in my writing. but I try my best to stick to the plot. Till next time. Ras. 

Trio Spade: ^_^ she is cruel isn't she. 


	13. chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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Chapter 13: Liana 

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Warm: that is how she felt. Her vision blinked open to the very early morning light. 

Looking up to the window next to the bed, she realized that the sun had not come up yet. Sunrise was an hour or two away. 

Very strong arms held her close. Sesshomaru's warm, bare chest was pressed against her naked back. 

She smiled to herself. He had been so gentle with her. It had been her first time with a male; and with a youkai no less. If her parents were alive they would not have approved. But it did not matter. She had no plans on ever marrying. 

Liana did not know why she mated with him, comforted him, but he had been so....desperate. 

A part of her had been afraid he would go........away from this place; afraid his mind would break completely. 

He had not been the first. Her lady liked pets, had broken many in the six years she had been a servant here. Some had been powerful youkai. Some had been hanyou's. Her Lady had broken all of them, leaving them nothing but mindless husks for her bidding. Sometimes at night, Lianna could hear their screams. What Her Lady did with them she did not know. But from the look of most of their wounds and Sesshomaru's too, the woman liked to punish her pets before, after and during mating with them. 

But as soon as Her Lady tired of her pet, she would take him out one day and just......not come back with him. 

It was that simple. 

Liana knew Sesshomaru was special. All of her pets had been handsome but Sesshomaru bordered on beautiful. She wondered if that was the reason Her Lady punished him so much; hurt him more....than she had the others. 

It made her heart ache to see the pain and torture, the way she had hurt Sesshomaru this time left her in tears. But there was nothing she could really do about it. Most humans would consider what Her Lady was doing a good thing; ridding the world of demons and punishing them as well. 

Most demons were dangerous and evil. But some were not. In her heart, she did not believe that Sesshomaru was inherently evil. The way he touched her last night proved it. 

A saddness welled up inside. She cared about the youkai too much. If Her Lady ever found out about their coupling, she would hurt Sesshomaru. Without a doubt, Her Lady would blame and punish _him_ for it. Pandora would punish him even if she admitted mating with him willingly. 

Suddenly, a small fear sparked below the saddness. She needed to get out of here. Sometimes Her Lady came back sooner than expected. 

Glancing over her left shoulder, Liana startled at dark amber reflecting the dim light of the dying fire. 

He closed his eyes and held her closer. "Good morning." 

Liana turned in his arms and looked into his beautiful features. "Sesshomaru." 

The youkai opened his eyes, a hint of emotion flickering in them. "Yes?" 

She breathed a deep breath. "I have to go now and get cleaned up." 

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Now?" 

Liana nodded. "Yes." 

His warm arms left her, allowing her to sit up. 

As she placed both of her bare feet on the cold stone floor, she stood up only to fall back down with a moan. It hurt. She hurt....down there. 

The strong arms grasped her lighty. "Liana, are you well?" 

Nodding her head, Liana replied. "I am a little sore is all." 

Sesshomaru moved her hair to the side and his lips pressed against the skin of her neck and shoulder. "Do you need help getting up?" 

Liana shook her head. "I think I can make it." 

She bent down and picked up her robe before raising up off the bed on shaky legs. 

As she dressed and tied the belt, Liana turned to Sesshomaru. 

For a long moment, she did not speak, only gazed down at the beautiful bare male looking up at her like a lost child. Bending down, she kissed him once on the lips and smiled. "I will be back later with food." 

He nodded once in understanding. 

Liana turned and left his chambers. 

The stone floor felt cold against her feet as she slowly made her way to the kitchen. 

After opening the wooden door leading to the kitchen, she eased into a small side room. Sitting down on her bed of straw and blankets, she rumaged around in a wooden trunk at the foot of her bed. In it she found a change of servants garments. Taking the clothes and a drying cloth, Liana walked slowly back into the kitchen and through a door which led outside to the back. 

Looking up to the partly cloudy sky, she realized the sunrise would not come for at least an hour. She had time to get to the pool and bathe. 

As she moved between the trees and through the underbrush, Liana stepped on quiet, cool moss and listened carefully for sounds she should be aware of. 

The pool came into sight. 

Liana laid her garments on a rock nearby and untied her robe, letting it fall to the ground. 

The icy water made her shiver as little bumps raised up on her skin. 

But it felt good on her sore areas. 

Reaching over, she grabbed her little clay pot of soap from behind a small rock. 

She scooped out some of the balm then waded deeper until her breasts touched the water. As she leaned backwards, the cold water wet her hair. 

Standing back up straight, she lathered her hair with the soap and began to wash all over. 

"My my, what _have_ we here?" 

Liana covered her breasts and spun around in the direction of the deep, smooth, purring voice. 

Shi'an. 

In the growing light, she saw him walk up and lean against a large boulder. 

Swallowing, Liana backed up some in the cold water, creating ripples on the surface. "Good morning, Shi'an." 

He smiled devilishly at her, his long black tail swishing back and forth behind him. "Good morning to you sunshine." 

She could always tell his mood by the swish of his tail. He was going prowling, to rut. 

Liana froze. This was the first time he had seen her unclothed. She didn't trust him. 

He cocked his head to the side, letting his long, black hair brush against his handsome features. "I see you have chosen to bathe in the morning this time." 

The tall male studied his fingernails. "Any particular reason?" 

Her mind raced, trying to create an excuse. If he found out, Sesshomaru would be punished. "I....just needed to bathe. I wanted to feel clean this morning." 

Yellow, cat like eyes caught her in their sights. "Is that so?" 

But then he straightened up and crossed his arms, a lusty smile playing on his rugged face. "Would you like some company?" He then lifted his arms in the air and stretched, his tail jerking in anticipation. "I could use a little....relaxation." 

Lianna swallowed again, hoping that she had washed all of Sesshomaru's scent off of her. If he took her now, he may smell the youkai on her skin. "No. I want to bathe alone, thank you." 

He dropped his arms out of the stretch and frowned. 

But then he shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Maybe....some other time then." 

Liana halfheartedly smiled in her nervousness. "Maybe." 

With his chin, he gestured toward Her Lady's dwelling. "I have hung up last nights kill by the kitchen door." 

She nodded once in reply. 

With a whip of his tail, he turned, disappearing soundlessly into the morning shadows. 

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Liana sunk into the water. 

That had been a close one. 

After scubbing thoroughly all over, then rinsing all of the soap off of her body, Liana became confident that Sesshomaru's mating scent had been washed away. 

To be sure, she would come back tonight, roll in the pine needles and mud before washing again. That would take care of it. 

Liana climbed out of the water, dried off, then dressed. 

Unknown to her, yellow feline eyes watched close by; a feral, hungry tint lustered in their black and saffron depths. 

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He hadn't wanted her to leave, but he knew she had to. 

Laying down on his back, Sesshomaru stared up at the wooden rafters. 

Being with Liana had helped him; helped his mind, healed the last vestiges of his spirit before it plunged into an eternal darkness. 

He had needed it so badly: the feel of a comforting, caring touch. 

For the rest of his servitude he would hang on to the memory of that touch. 

Everytime his Mistress decided to....hurt him, or make him........obey her sick commands....he would take that memory and hold it close. Nothing could take it away from him. 

Burying his nose in his pillow, he inhaled their mixed scents coupled with the smell of their mating. He would remember that too. 

After getting out of bed and dressing, he sat in the chair and gazed at the last of the glowing embers. He silently hoped Liana would return soon. 

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The sunlight grew brighter in the room. Sesshomaru opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep in the chair. 

Light footfalls echoed down the hallway. 

Liana's faint knocking made his spirit rise a little. "Yes?" 

Liana entered the room with a smile and a covered tray. 

The aroma of roasted pork flooded the room. 

He rose from the chair, following closely behind the young woman. 

After setting down the tray, she turned around with an _eep_. Somewhat startled, she smiled up at him. "I didn't know you were right behind me." 

Sesshomaru blinked down at the small female. "Did I startle you?" 

With a nod, she replied. "Yes." 

Everything became quiet as they stared at each other. 

Moments passed. 

Finally, Liana blinked out of her daze and gestured to the tray. "I have brought you something to eat." 

He nodded once then raised a clawed finger to her cheek. 

This time she did not flinch away. 

Sesshomaru caressed her face, studying every line, searing it into memory. 

Her cool hand grasped his, with a motherly smile she chided. "You need to eat." 

Lowering his hand, he backed away to let her pass. "Thank you." 

He watched as the young woman left. 

Sighing, he allowed himself a faint smile of his own before sitting down and eating. 

The day rolled on into evening. 

Expectantly, he watched the door, waiting for Liana to return; she usually did to bring the evening meal and make a fire. 

Then, he heard it: liana's servant dress rustling and her hurried sandled footsteps. 

Her knock was loud and short. 

His heart began to beat hard. "Yes?" 

Liana entered, almost running to the wardrobe. 

Sesshomaru swallowed down the dryness in his throat. "Liana?" 

She did not look at him. "You need to bathe right now. My Lady has returned and she has requested it. 

He looked down at his hands, suddenly realizing they were shaking. 

Clenching them into fists, he whispered to himself. "No." 

Liana bathed him again, taking care to use the right scented soaps. 

This time he allowed her to dry him off all over and brush his hair. 

After finishing her task, she handed him the white, silk robe. 

As he followed Liana to his Mistress's bed chambers, he felt himself go numb. 

The young girl rapped lightly on the wooden door. 

He nearly jumped out of his skin at his Mistress's sultry voice. 

"Come." 

Liana gave a short, worried glance back at him before opening the door. 

As they entered, Liana bowed low. "My Lady." 

Sesshomaru kept his eyes on the stone tiled floor. 

"You may go, Liana." 

After Liana had left the room, he went to his Mistress and kneeled before her on his hands and knees, keeping his line of sight on her bare feet. "Mistress, I am here to serve you. What do you wish of me?" 

She chuckled: a low, sickenly sweet sound. 

Her cold fingers caressed his hair and ear. "You are such a good boy.....I think you deserve a reward. Tonight, you will scream for me." 

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Sesshomaru crawled towards his room. All he wished to do was lay down and sleep. He made it to his bed, collapsing on the covers. As he spiraled into oblivion, one image flashed across his mind: Liana's. 

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His Mistress woke him out of his nightmares with one word. Sesshomaru believed being woke by that word was a terror in itself. 

As soon as he was able to move, he crawled to her feet. "Forgive me, Mistress." 

Her blank tone held no emotion. "Get dressed." 

He dressed quickly then fell to her feet once more. "Mistress." 

With an irritated sigh, his Mistress walked down the hallway. "Follow me." 

Their journey began again. He traveled with her, finding youkai in her snares. Fortunately, he did not have to kill any this time. 

For many days they trekked over sparse lands as well as dark, shaded forests. 

Each day brought new tortures, sleep deprivation and starvation being the worst. She had not allowed him to hunt, therefore he had not eaten. 

And every night, she had ordered him not to sleep. 

He had never needed sleep so much before, but the more he was wounded, the more he needed it. And his Mistress knew it. 

Finally, they began traveling back home. 

Some days later, they moved into familiar territory and through the barrier. 

Sesshomaru looked up to the sky to see the rising sun spill it's light into a sea of pink clouds. They had spent the entire night traveling. 

As he walked along, he tripped once on a large root. He had not slept or eaten in many days. And his Mistress had made it a point of hurting him every night of their journey. 

Blood was dripping from around his collar. She had said that word a least a dozen times in the last few days. He had noticed that the pain changed with her mood. The more angry she was when she said the word, the more it hurt him. The last time the word left her lips, the pain nearly crushed his sanity. 

He had never been so relieved to see the old stone cottage as they walked across the bright green grass towards his Mistress's home. 

Fear gripped him as he remembered the last time they had returned. 

Silently he prayed that she did not walk along that dusty path leading to the back of the house. 

To his utter relief, she opened the front door and walked in. 

Liana came in and bowed on one knee at her feet. 

His Mistress pushed back her hood. "Liana, get him cleaned up and fed. His stench is starting to annoy me." 

With a wave of her hand, she gestured toward her servant. "Go with Liana, let her bathe you, eat what she brings you, rest.......Later tonight......come to my chambers." 

The young servant woman raised up, her features betraying none of her emotions as she motioned for him to follow her. 

Exhaustion and lethargy pulled at him. He wanted nothing more than to lie down somewhere, lick his wounds and sleep. But he must do as his Mistress had ordered. 

At least he would have a quiet moment with Liana while she bathed him. 

As he followed the young woman, his sense of smell picked up something different in her scent. 

Even through the strain of pain and fatigue, he had noticed it. 

When Liana closed the door to the bathing room, He turned to her. 

More roughly than he intended to, he grabbed Liana's upper arms. "Your scent is different." 

The young woman blinked up at him, not a trace of fear in her expression. "How so?" 

Leaning down, he inhaled deeply. "I am not sure." 

A strange emotion, something akin to fear, began creeping up inside of him. He had an idea of what it was. But he needed to be sure. He kneeled before the small female, grasping the hem of her garment. 

Pulling it up, he stuck his nose close to her warmth and sniffed several times. 

Sesshomaru dropped the hem of her dress. He felt light headed as his mind raced to understand what his sense of smell was telling him. 

Still on his knees, he leaned forward and put his arms around her waist. 

Hugging the small female close, he placed his cheek against her stomach and closed his eyes. His words a notch above a whisper. "You are with child Liana. The pup is mine." 

The young woman in his arms began to tremble; her shaking hands barely touching his shoulders, her voice a mere breath. "What?" 

Sesshomaru stood up, his eyes met her green ones. "You need to leave this place. Is there a human village nearby?" 

Wide eyed and mouth slighly agape, she nodded once. Her tone was whisper soft. "Yes, but not very close. There is human village about five days travel from here to the north." 

He leaned down, putting his forehead against hers. "Listen to me Liana, you need to run from here. Go to the village. If they do not take you in, if you can find no one to help you, go to the Western Lands." 

"The Western Lands?" 

"Yes, My father is Lord there. Find his estate. He will know you carry my pup by your scent. He will take you in and help with the infant." 

Taking deep breaths, Liana's trembling calmed a little. "What if the village allows me to stay?" 

Sesshomaru leaned back some to look at her face. "Liana, if the village takes you in, stay there for only a short time. The child you carry will be a hanyou. Humans will not accept it. You must go to the Great Lord of the Western Lands, my father, he will accept you and the child as family. When you see my father, tell him....there is no hope for me. Tell him....I am dead." 

Fear radiated off of her. "Dead?" 

Lightly, he touched her chin. "There is no hope for me. But there is hope for our pup. You must find the courage to run." 

She nodded her head slowly. "Courage." 

He gave her a small nod in return then proceeded to remove his clothes for the bath. 

When they had entered his room, Sesshomaru dressed. Determined, he looked through the wardrobe and found his old outfit along with his boa. Liana had been standing there watching him intently. 

Sesshomaru pulled out the large fluffy scarf and laid it out on the bed. 

With his claws, he cut a small piece off. He handed it to Liana. "Keep this close. It has my scent on it. Most lesser youkai will not bother you if you wear it." 

Liana accepted the piece of cloth from his hands. She turned it over in her palm, studying it before looking up at him. "I do not want to leave you." 

Grasping her hand, he pulled her close and embraced the small female. "You must.....She will kill our pup." 

That fear scent grew stronger with his words. 

He let go of her. 

Liana took a deep breath while her eyes lifted to his. "I will leave tonight, after I bring you the evening meal." 

The dog demon gave a slight nod then watched the young female leave the room. 

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Liana hurried to the kitchen. She was scared, so very scared. The trip to the human village would be a five day journey through the mountains. She would have to travel light but with enough provisions to last. 

She would think on what to do and what to pack while fixing the evening meal. 

After hiding the small scrap of fluff under her bed covers, Liana went back into the kitchen. 

Grabbing the bucket which had been set near the fireplace, she stepped through the door in the kitchen which led outside to the back of the dwelling. 

Liana quickly walked to the tree line to the right which stood several paces away from the stable. She came to the thicket of trees that surrounded the water well. 

Just as she stepped between two large oaks, a dark form eased in front of her, blocking the path. "In a hurry, are we?" 

Liana recoiled. "Shi'an?" 

The tall male leaned against a tree and crossed his arms, smiling wickedly at her. 

Liana tried to stay calm. "I need to get water from the well. May I pass?" 

He seemed to ignore her question and made an obvious mock sniffing of the air while looking at her. He stopped, his wicked grin almost marring his handsome features. "You smell different, Liana." 

She could feel the pounding in her chest and backed up a step. 

Shi'an uncrossed his arms and shook his head at her. "Do not move." 

Liana froze on the spot as the fear spread all the way to her toes. 

He approached with feline stealth then circled around her, sniffing her hair and shoulders in the process. He growled low. "Your scent has changed." 

Stopping in front of her, he reached a clawed finger to her cheek, his tone a little softer. "Of course, I noticed this days ago." 

Liana wanted to bolt, to run, but she knew he would catch her before she made it very far. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched his tail. It swished back and forth in agitation. 

His features hardened as he glared into her eyes. "You rutted with that _dog_, didn't you?" He had spat the word _dog_ out as if the very sound of it disgusted him. 

Liana said nothing, too terrified to even move. 

Strong clawed hands gripped her upper arms and shoulders, forcing her backwards. Stars flashed in her vision as the back of her head bashed against something hard. A sharp cry escaped from her throat. Jagged bark scraped her backside. Shi'an had thrown her against a tree. 

As her vision cleared somewhat, hot words breathed next to her ear. "Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy letting that filthy dog hump you? Did he take pleasure in humping a worthless bitch?" 

Everything blurred as tears fell down her cheeks. She let out a quiet sob. "What....are you...going to do?" 

His demeanor changed instantly. The fierce grip tearing into her skin lessened somewhat. The fire in his slanted eyes died to a smoldering ember. One clawed finger reached up and lightly touched her quivering lip. "Me? Well, that will depend solely on you. I have wanted a female of my own for a very long time. One that will not......run away when she feels like it.....One that I can.....keep.....to use whenever I want. If you...behave....I will spare that.....dog.......and not tell My Lady about your activities with him. And in return, you will be mine, whenever, wherever I choose." 

He leaned close, his purring whisper in her ear. "You need not worry about the life you carry.......It will not survive our.....encounters." 

He backed away from her. "I will expect you tonight by the pool. Be there when the moon rises above the trees." 

With a quick flick of his tail, he turned, vanishing into the wood. His smooth words floating back to her. "And do not even think of running. I am watching you." 

Liana slid to the cool ground, wet tears flowing freely down her heated skin which was slowly turning to ice. She shook uncontollably. 

What was she going to do? 

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HI all, Ras here, I know many of you all ready figured out about the little puppy. All who read must have realized what was going on with our youkai to make him cling to Liana. Our Sesshy is going mad folks. The slavery and torture is driving him insane. Only one thing could bring him back from the brink of maddness. A caring touch. I only have two more chapters left and they are written out just have to type them. Hope all who read were entertained. Please read and review. Ras. 

Review responses: 

Lil'Chi Chi: most of your questions were answered in this chappie. Ras. 

mikomi: ^_^ 

animuffin: the plot bunny will consider. hmmmmm there was a well in this chapter. hmmmmm.... 

Henti Jane: Hey Laura! hows it going? I'm glad you got what I was trying to get across. I feel I may have botched that up some. the reason why sessy did it. but maybe I didn't botch it up too bad. till next time. Ras. 

Erica: Aw come on girl don't laugh. lol. your review brought a smile to my face. 

fan of story: well, I almost did make it a rape, considering Sesshomaru's state of mind. But I just couldn't do that to Liana. It had to happen so I made it consentual. Sessy is a little mixed up right now. I don't think he loves Liana but he has come to care for her. 

Trio-Spade: ^_^ 

Tenshi no Yami: ^_^ 

Queen of Hyper Psychos: There will be no more really bad torture for Sessy by Pandora. I will give you a hint. Pandora does not kill Liana. 

Yuki: Your review left me speechless. wordless. I make pictures? really? I have lost some reviews for this story. Is it too emotional? I am glad that my writing pulls a lot of emotion. ^_^ But didn't mean to make you cry though. Sorry bout that. Ras. 


	14. chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. 

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chapter 14: Nightmare 

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Liana sniffled wearily. 

Looking around, she spotted the wooden bucket which she had dropped when Shi'an had.....hurt her. 

Standing up shakily, she walked over to the bucket. Bending down, she grabbed it's handle. 

Liana went to the well. 

With some effort, she carried the heavy bucket of water into the kitchen and set it down by the fireplace. 

Hopelessness blanketed her heart. Looking down at her flat stomach, she rubbed it lightly with her hand. A life was growing inside of her. A very beautiful life: one created by desperation and compassion. 

Several warm, wet tears fell on her hand as she blinked at the blurriness. No hope. For Sesshomaru's safety, she would mate with Shi'an. And he would kill her baby. Even if she tried to run, Shi'an would catch her before she made it to the mountains. He would take her anyway. Then two lives would be taken. Maybe three. And if Her Lady decided not to kill Sesshomaru, she would......hurt him. 

She moved to her bed, pulled out the scrap of fluff and hugged it tight. Laying down on her covers, she burried her face in her pillow and grieved: Silent, aching tears for the life inside of her: her baby. 

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Sesshomaru paced in his room, waiting on Liana. Afternoon sunlight beamed in from the window. He wished to tell her goodbye before she left. 

The sooner she brought the evening meal, the sooner she would be away from this place and their pup would be out of danger. 

So deep in his inner musings, he had not detected Liana's quiet steps. 

A faint knock rapped once. 

He looked at the door. "Yes?" 

Liana opened the door and stepped in the room. In her hands, she held a tray. 

She did not look at him. Immediately, he could tell by her scent there was something wrong: Sadness, nervousness, apprehension and fear. 

A very bad feeling grabbed for his heart. 

For some reason he did not speak, only watched as the young female entered and placed the tray on the table by the bed. Something inside told him to wait. 

After setting the tray on the table, the young girl sat down on his bed. 

Slowly her eyes rose up to meet him. Unshed tears glistened in the green pools, making them shimmer with color. Moments passed and she did not utter one word. 

Finally, she swallowed then spoke. Her voice rasped out in a choking whisper. "I cannot leave." 

He fell on his knees before her and cupped her face in both of his clawed hands. "Why?" 

With a quiet sob, she gazed into his face. "Shi'an will not let me." 

Fear gripped him in it's sharp tallons. "Shi'an?" 

Hot tears fell on his thumbs as she nodded. 

Dropping his hands, he lightly clasped her small ones in both of his. "Tell me, Liana. What is Shi'an and how can he keep you from leaving?" 

Liana clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, the droplets falling steadily off of her reddened cheeks. "I do not know what Shi'an is but I know he can change shape at will. Sometimes he appears human. Sometimes he is a big black cat. Sometimes he reaches the treetops like a monster. I once heard My Lady call him a changling. But he always has a tail and some cat like feature. Shi'an would track and catch me before I got very far." 

She opened her eyes some, staring at his hands which still held hers. "He said he smelled.....the baby. He wants.....me....as payment for his silence." 

Sesshomaru could not speak; Rage, fear, despair and hopelessness tearing his spirit to shreds. For the second time in his life, he shed a tear, falling unnoticed in the grief. 

Mentally pushing all of it away, he leaned forwards and held Liana close. "I am....sorry, forgive me." 

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That night, he went to his Mistress. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning he woke early, silently hoping to see Liana before his Mistress came for him. She did not come that morning. Worried, he sat down by the door and leaned against the cold wood. Closing his eyes, he whispered her name under his breath. 

Soon he sensed Liana as she neared the room. 

Standing up, Sesshomaru waited. 

The faintest rap sounded on the old wood. 

Sesshomaru opened the door. He backed up, letting the small female in. The first thing he noticed were her green eyes. They were dull, void of anything. 

His heart began to pound, she smelled of pain and blood, her blood. 

He watched as she slowly carried a tray to his table then turned to leave. 

By the way she walked, slow and slightly hunched over, he knew.......... 

The dog demon stepped in front of her, barring the way while reaching out to her. "Liana?" 

A horrible ache pulled at him when she flinched but the motion died as soon as it appeared. Liana only stood there, her eyes never wavering from their dulled and lifeless expression. 

Cautiously, he eased closer. As he slid his arms around the young girl, he heard her sharp gasp. 

Her pain invaded his sense of smell. Instantly, he jerked away from her. "Liana.......?" 

Agony crossed her young features. She looked to the floor as her mouth opened, trying to form words. "I.......hurt." 

His hands were shaking, yearning to hold her. ".......where?" 

She did not speak again, keeping her eyes downcast. 

"Show me....please." 

The girl turned around slowly. Her hand shook as it carefully slid the dress off one shoulder then another. The garment fell, crumpling at the base of her back. 

Sesshomaru reached out with his hand and pushed aside her long, straight brown hair. Everything became quiet. Inside, he ached with a pain that could not even compare to what His Mistress had done to him. For a second, scarlet flashed in his vision. He wanted to kill, kill that damn cat. His demon blood entertained the idea of ripping the male apart until his entrails spilled across the ground. 

Her fair skin had been slashed. Deep jagged claw marks along with dark bruises marred the flesh; bright crimson carved into ivory, black and blue muddled against milky white. Dark brown blood crusted in and around the deep cuts. 

That damn animal had done this when he..... 

With great effort, he squashed the overwhelming urge to kill. 

Liana was in pain. And for once he did not feel helpless in this matter. He could help ease the hurt. 

Sesshomaru spoke in a comforting tone. "Liana, I want you to take off your clothes and lay on the bed but do not lay on your back." 

The girl began to tremble. "Please.....not now......I feel so.....dirty." 

Cautiously, he eased closer to her, his words were soft and honest. "I will not touch you in that way.....I will not hurt you....Trust me." 

She seemed to hear his honest plea and complied with his request, stripping with jerky, painful movements before laying down on the futon. 

Kneeling by the bed, he surveyed the damange. The inu youkai inhaled deeply, trying to determine the extent of her injuries. No bones were broken. He started. Their pup had survived. 

"Liana, our pup lives." 

At his words, the young girl began to cry quietly. 

He stroked her hair and caressed her face. "Shhhhh, I will make the pain go away..." 

Leaning over her shaking form, he sniffed some before tenderly running his tongue over one gash. 

Liana sucked in a breath. 

As he repeated the action, the dog demon swallowed the coppery sweetness. 

One by one the lacerations sealed while his saliva numbed the wounds. 

Before long, her trembling ebbed away to be replaced by even breathing. 

Muscles relaxed, the shaking diminshed gradually until it stopped altogether. 

By the time he had finished, every cut had been tended to. 

He looked over to find that Liana had fallen asleep. 

Gently, he covered the sleeping female with a light sheet. 

Letting out a long breath, he sat on the floor, leaning his back against the bed and praying that His Mistress did not come to him this day. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Thankfully His Mistress did not come for him. Liana woke a while later. She sat up with dazed, half lidded eyes that looked around wearily. 

Her sights stopped on him as he sat looking up to her. 

Clutching the sheet to her chest, she blinked. "Thank you." 

Liana glanced at her clothes. "I want to get dressed." 

He nodded in understanding, grabbed her clothes, handed them to her, then turned around, giving her some privacy. 

"I am done." 

Sesshomaru turned back around to face the petite female. 

He reached for her once more. "Can I hold you?" 

Her eyes watched his hand warily but then softened and looked down. "I think I would like that." 

Delicately, he embraced her for a moment, laying his cheek on the top of her head. 

With reluctance, Sesshomaru released the young girl and watched her leave the room. 

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The next morning he did not see Liana, but his Mistress appeared in the door way. 

He kneeled at her feet. "Mistress." 

She sniffed impatiently. "Time to leave, demon." 

Hurriedly, he attached his weapons and followed his Mistress. 

As they went down the long hallway, he stole glances about, wishing to see Liana nearby. But he never did. 

He trailed behind his Mistress in their travels. This time she allowed him to hunt and rest. 

Only once did she need his services as a guard dog. They had come across a wolf. In it's savage need for food, it attacked. Effortlessly, he killed the beast. 

For one moon's cycle, they traversed far and abroad. All demons ensnared were evil to the core. She had not needed him to kill any of them. 

They began traveling back. Soon, the path to her home came into sight. 

His Mistress opened the door and stepped across the threshold. 

She waited. 

Several moments passed. 

Pulling back her hood, she looked in the direction of the kitchen. 

The direction Liana always came from when they returned. 

Still they waited. 

Sesshomaru could not help the sick knot in his stomach turning to ice. 

He reached out desperately with his senses, searching for her. 

He breathed a small sigh. She was here, and coming closer, but.......her scent.......she smelled different. 

Liana appeared in the doorway. Her movements were steady, not hurried, not slow. 

She bowed low, letting both knees hit the floor at His Mistress's feet. Liana's voice rasped out her greeting as her eyes remained on the floor. "My Lady." 

His Mistress looked down at the girl with a guarded expression. "Liana, I have noticed that you have become somewhat lax in your duties. What is the reason for this?" 

The kneeling girl hesitated. "I.....My Lady....Shi'an has chosen me as his mate. He is........When he touches me....he is not very......gentle.....Unknowingly, he injures me when we mate. I am having some trouble moving after our coupling. Forgive me, My Lady. I will try to do better." 

Sesshomaru could barely contain his demon blood that screamed for vengence. 

His fists shook. A warm wetness filled his palms. 

"Did he mark you?" 

Liana nodded. "Yes, My Lady." The young girl pushed the garment off of her left shoulder, revealing two very deep fang markings, crusty red and brown holes marring the white skin at the base of her neck. 

"I see." 

A crimson sea blanketed his mind. Right then, he made a promise to himself to kill the bastard. 

As Liana covered up the mark, his Mistress let out an exasperated sigh. "What Shi'an does in my absense is none of my concern. I will speak with him about his misjudgement in the way he mates with you. I will tell him that I need your services and he must take care from now on and not to injure you." she paused. "Are you with child?" 

Sesshomaru's heart froze. 

He could tell Liana's had speeded up dramatically. Fear rose in waves off of the girl. "Yes, My Lady." 

His Mistress shook her head. "This changes things. I do not want children here. Shi'an has acted thoughtlessly. After giving birth, you may leave. I believe there is a human village beyond the mountains. I will have Shi'an take you there after you have birthed. When I do not need him, he will be able to visit you there. You will be compensated for your years of faithful service." 

Liana nodded. "Thank you, My Lady." 

His Mistress gestured to him as Liana stood. "Go get him cleaned up and fed. I am tired. I do not wished to be disturbed tonight." 

He followed Liana to the heated bathing pool. 

When she shut the door, he ignored her, slipping out of his soiled clothes and into the bath. 

She did not speak, only washed him. 

As he watched the swirling bubbles die in the ripples, he spoke. "Did you enjoy it? Letting him mark you?" 

Liana paused in her task but then continued. Her voice trembled slightly. "No." 

"I cannot smell our pup but you are with child." 

His voice choked from him. "You smell like him. Your scent has changed. _You_ have changed." 

Sesshomaru had not intended to speak so harshly with her. Sadness and despair floated from the young girl, making his heart sink with the shame of his words. 

Her soft, quiet whimpers seared his spirit. "I......" 

He bowed his head and touched her hand that was resting on his shoulder. "I should not have said those things. Forgive me, Liana.....Please." 

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The days rolled on into months. In the few times Liana came to his room, he could see the a little of what most of her servants dress hid from him. 

He did not touch her again, fearful that her animal mate would smell his scent on her skin. 

Sesshomaru didn't want to see Liana hurt. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

They stepped through the dark forest and into a clearing. 

He sniffed once and opened his mouth to warn of the impending threat. 

Before he could speak one word, a crackling lit the air. A demon flew at them in a rage, screaming something about his brother and that he knew they had killed him. 

It was an elemental demon: the same one that he had encountered at the stream. 

The youkai's long braid whipped about behind him as a static fire blazed in his red eyes. 

Sesshomaru drew Toujkin. A fight ensued. 

The demon had speed and the use of flight. All he had was demon speed and his sword. 

Lightning cracked from the powerful bladed staff the thunder demon carried. 

Sesshomaru dodged the attacks easily but soon he slowed. 

The inu youkai was unprepared for the shock of the staff's blades as they plunged into his back. 

He howled in agony, the flesh on his back melting with the contact. 

With all of his demon energy gone, he was no match for the raven haired thunder youkai and fell to the ground. 

His Mistress became angry. Energy poured from her fingertips, cutting the youkai in half. It vanished in a puff of sparkling mist. 

She looked down at him with fire in her eyes. "Worthless beast!" 

He crawled toward her, stopping at her feet. "Forgive me, Mistress." 

With a hand she waved at him and spoke in an irritated tone. "Come." 

As he coughed up blood and spit it out, he rose from his kneeled postion then followed her, sheathing his sword. 

Sesshomaru trailed behind his cloaked Mistress, holding his hand over his cracked ribs, a light groan escaping from him. 

When they returned to his Mistress's dwelling, she motioned for him to follow her to the back of the house. 

His heart raced. "Mistress?.....Forgive me Mistress......for being unable to kill the youkai. Please.....I beg of you...." 

She raised a hand while walking along the path. "Be silent." 

As his heart pounded in his chest, his vision blurred with panic. 

But His Mistress did not venture towards the tree line, instead she walked over to a worn circle behind the stable. 

They stopped near the small dusty circle. In the middle of the circle was an iron ring with a chain attached to it; at the end of the chain, a shackle. 

She pointed to a spot near the ring. "Stand there." 

He complied and stood by the iron ring. 

Bending down, she grabbed the shackle and clasped it on his right ankle. 

She stood up and frowned at him from under her hood. "Do not break my chain. Do not try to get out of it. You are to stay here until I come and unlock the shackle. Now hand me your weapons." 

He complied with her command and handed his swords over to her. She strolled toward the house. "Be a good boy, my pet." 

Sesshomaru stood there for a long time. The sun set. When night came, he sat down on the cold earth and looked up at the twinkling stars. 

Soon, his ears picked up small steps. Several paces away, Liana opened a door. It was dark and he could not see very well. Undoubtably, Liana could not see him either for she looked around in the dark a moment before cautiously walking toward the tree line. 

He raised his hand, her name on the tip of his tongue. 

No. 

A thought struck him. She was going to see her animal lover. 

Looking down, he swallowed and clenched his eyes shut. 

A while later, he heard a panther's scream. 

The moon rose above the treetops, giving light to the surroundings. 

Leaves rustled, he looked to the tree line and sniffed the air. 

Liana. 

Her form appeared out of the shadowed wood. The potent odor of mating sickened him. Shi'an's scent overpowered the smell of her salty tears. 

He ached to call out to her. But did not. 

From his line of sight, he could see Liana slowly walk back to the stone cottage. 

Light sniffles mixed with her heavy breathing. 

He did not sleep that night. 

When the sun rose he looked around. His ears twitched. Something or someone was slinking out of the cover of the treeline. 

A man emerged: one almost as tall as he. Long black hair cascaded down his back. 

Dressed in a simple leather hunting outfit, the large muscled male shouldered a small dead boar. 

Something long and black swished behind him. 

The male had a tail: A long.....black.....tail.... 

Shi'an. 

He growled low in his throat and crouched on his feet. 

The dog demon watched as the changling hung the kill on an iron hook near the door. 

Red flashed in his vision, he growled louder, wanting very much to get the bastard's attention. 

If he could get the damn animal within reach.......he cracked his knuckles and flexed his claws. 

The tall male stretched like a waking cat, his claws reaching to the sky. 

Dropping out of the stretch, he turned in his direction and began walking toward him. 

The dog demon noticed immediately the graceful feline manner of stealth in his steps. 

With a cocky grin, the dark haired male stopped some paces away from him. 

Sesshomaru eyed the distance and thought of the length of the chain. 

He would not be able to reach the damn bastard. 

If he could anger the male, he may slip up and attack. 

He smirked to himself and glared at the animal. 

Shi'an's tail swished back and forth lazily. "Greetings dog, did you sleep well?" 

Sesshomaru said nothing and waited. 

With a short bow and a wicked smile, he purred. "Forgive me...my manners. I am Shi'an." 

He straightened and crossed his arms. "I am sure that Liana has told you all about me." 

The inu youkai kept his preditory stare locked on his intended prey. 

Tilting his head, he regarded him with an apathetic look. "No? She must have said something about my mating talents. The way she screams every time I take her would make any male shiver with pleasure." 

His demon blood demanded justice. Demanded death. Every part of him wanted to kill the damn cat. 

Nothing mattered anymore, the punishment, the chain, the pain of disobeying. 

He was going to kill and kill now. 

In a blink, he lunged for the male only to come up an inch shy of clawing his guts out. 

Desperately, he grasped the chain at his ankle and pulled. 

The collar closed around his throat, crushing it. Clenching his eyes shut, he scratched at the metal restraint as a powerful current slashed through him. 

Shi'an only shook his head and mocked. "Poor mutt can't even reach. Did you want to kill me?" He growled out a laugh. "Damn dog. I don't know what Liana ever saw in you. She's mine now. My mate. My kit. Your are nothing but a worthless dog....even to her." 

He spat out the coppery slickness choking him while shaking from the collar's punishment. The dog demon gurgled out a warning promise. "Someday...I....will...kill...you." 

Shi'an shrugged his shoulders. "Empty threat." 

The tall, dark male prowled away. "Remember dog......keep in mind.....Liana calls _my_ name out every time she reaches her pleasure." 

Sesshomaru shuddered with the rage and pain. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Sesshomaru stared out at the rain. It pelted him mercilessly, dripping from his bangs. Lightning flashed overhead. Thunder rumbled. His wet clothes clung to his skin. 

The dog demon shook his head once in a while to shed the water, but it was no use. It showered him, soaking his hair and skin. 

He had been chained out here for many days. 

Every night, he would see Liana go to her mate. 

Every morning, Shi'an would taunt him. 

Liana had not come to him, not once. 

He licked the water from his lips. 

Opening his mouth, he drank from the sky's torent. 

He had not been fed since his Mistress had chained him. 

No one had brought any water to him. 

So he was thankful for what was given to him now, even if it did drench him to the bone. 

The rains finally stopped. 

He sat despondently in the mud as the sun shed light through the clouds. 

Day ebbed into night. 

That night, Liana did not come out. 

He waited. He always waited to get a glimpse of her. 

But tonight he waited in vain. 

She did not come. 

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

Several days passed, Liana did not come out again. 

Shi'an did not appear in the mornings either. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

Sesshomaru woke to the light of sunrise and the blue sky. 

The earth had finally dried from the rains. But he missed the drinking water. 

Licking his dry lips, he sat up and looked around weakly. 

The shackle and chain clinked as he tried to stand. He could not. 

He had been here over one moon's cycle with no food and very little water. 

It had taken it's toll. His stomach protested, burning beyond hunger. 

He laid back down on the earth and closed his eyes. 

His mind fell into darkness. 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

Evening came and he forced himself to sit up. 

He tried to swallow the dryness away. 

Sesshomaru believed he was going mad. He could see his Mistress's cloaked form walking toward him. 

But even if it were a mere image of his mind, he bowed at the apparition's feet anyway. "Mistress. I have been good Mistress." 

A hand stroked his hair. He thought it felt heavenly. "Yes, you have been a good boy, my pet. And I think you deserve a reward. Hungry?" 

Still on his hands and knees he nodded once. "Yes, Mistress." 

A cold chill ran up his spine when she called out. "Shi'an!" 

She bent down and whispered close to his ear. "Sit up, my pet. Your meal is coming. Shi'an hunted it for only you." 

Sitting up, he stared in a daze toward the sound of padding feline feet. 

The dog demon despaired. The cat approached up wind. He could not smell what the cat was bringing. 

His vision blurred for a moment then came slowly into focus. 

The outline of the cat came into the fading evening light. 

Finally, his sight cleared completely. 

A sickening knot welled up in his stomach. 

What he saw nearly caused him to purge. 

In the panther's jaws was an infant. 

It's snow white body dangled limply from the bloody fangs. 

Two small white furry ears twitched ever so slightly amongst a head full of scarlet streaked, silvery hair. 

It was his pup. His son. 

A hand stroked his hair. "Do you want it?" 

Shocked and horrified, Sesshomaru nodded his head, never taking his eyes off of the quiet, twitching pup. "Yes.....Mistress." 

Her smooth voice questioned with an airy tone. "Are you going to eat it?" 

Bitter bile coated his tongue at the thought of consuming his own pup. "I.......yes." 

She chuckled low. "I don't believe you my pet." 

With a weak growl, he reached for the pup. "No....Mistress.....Please...no.... I will do anything if you spare my pup. Please......" 

Walking a few steps away, she smiled at him. "I have changed my mind." 

His Mistress gestured to the panther. "I think Shi'an deserves your little treat." 

Sesshomaru watched in horror as the large black cat snarled then prowled off into the growing darkness of evening with his son in it's jaws. 

A long grieving whimper ripped from his thoat as he crawled toward the retreating cat. The chain pulled taught. He reached out. "Please....No......I am begging you for the life of my son. Mistress.....Please." 

For a long moment he stared into the shadowed darkness that had taken his son. 

Then..... a panther's scream sounded in the distance. 

Closing his eyes tightly, his forehead hit the ground. He moaned. "Noooo...." 

For the third time in his life, hot tears fell, wetting the sand below him. 

His Mistress sighed. "Imagine my surprise when the child turned out to be an inu youkai child with your markings. Liana must have been busy. That is with pleasing Shi'an as well. I had hoped the infant would be a kitten. But that's life. Can't always get what you want." 

He choked while sitting up. "Mistress.....please....where is Liana?" 

Her voice became cold. "Liana is dead. The birthing killed her." 

A tinge of emotion edged it's way into her tone of ice. "At my request, Shi'an carried her to a large field nearby and buried her........She always did like flowers." 

With that, his Mistress turned and walked back toward the stone cottage. 

Sesshomaru grieved for days, laying on his side, chained to the iron ring. 

The rain and fall wind chilled him....He welcomed it. 

Pain of despair threatened to kill his soul. He wanted to die. 

Self preservation took hold. With every ounce of resolve he grasped all that he had left: Liana's memory, his pup's image, and finally, his honor. 

He embraced them all for a long time before locking them all away in a room in the back of his mind to keep them safe. Promising himself, vowing to himself to open the locked room on the day he was set free or in the moment of his death. 

After that........he thought nothing.........he felt nothing....... 

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Boy was that hard! One more chapter folks. hope all don't want to flame me for this one but I wouldn't be surprised if I did get one or two. One of my readers asked how did Liana get pregnant. Well I know about female sexual anatomy To put it simply, Liana went into heat the next day. A man's seed can stay alive in a woman for three days. For a demon maybe longer. Liana dropped her egg the next day, therefore, she became pregnant. Now I did not explain this in the story but Sesshomaru is a dog demon. Their females go into heat in summer, once a year. Sesshomaru probably felt confident about Liana not coming into heat anytime soon. What he didn't know was that human females go into heat once a month. Ooops. Thanks to all who read and reviewed. Ras. 

Review responses: 

Tatoosh: Well I would like to tell you about Shippoh but that will give away something else. hint hint. 

Fluffylover: I think I answered your question in the ending author's note. ^_^ 

And many happy thanks to all the other's who reviewed ^_^. 

lere 

Lil'Chi Chi 

Tenshi no Yami 

Erica 

Queen of Hyper Psychos 

Trio-Spade 

and mina-chan 


	15. Chapter 15

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Author's note: Due to some reviews and my own personal thoughts I changed chapter 11 a little. I had intended for the Bitch part to be a mating thing because Sesshomaru is a dog demon but it did come out a little degrading so I changed it. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters 

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chapter 15: The end of one; the beginning of another. 

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

Shi'an knocked on his Lady's door. "My Lady?" 

Her reply came out low and deep. "Yes, Shi'an, come in." 

He pushed on the old wooden door, entering the semi-dark room. The small fire in the hearth allowed just enough light to see. 

His Lady lay on her bed, lounging, reading a book. 

He bowed in respect. "My Lady." 

Without looking up, she acknowledged his presence. "Yes, what is it Shi'an?" 

Standing straight and rigid, Shi'an regarded his raven haired Lady. "Liana has given birth." 

At this, the lounging beauty looked up and blinked. "And......?" 

He continued in a flat but asking tone. "You need to come see." 

Her brow creased for only a moment before she let out a breath of slight irritation while easing off her bed. "For you, Shi'an, I will come." 

His Lady followed him down the dark hallway and to the kitchen. 

Both stopped at the doorway to the small room Liana slept in. 

Shi'an frowned at the sight before him. 

Liana lay there on her small bed of straw and blankets in the sleep of death. Her hair, wet with sweat, matted against her pale face and neck. One arm hung loosely over the edge, almost touching the stone gray floor. Blood soaked the bedraggled servant's dress she wore. The scarlet stain covered the bottom half of her garment which had been bunched up at her crimson streaked hips and thighs. The once white sheets dripped with her life's blood. Directly between the young girl's legs lay an infant.....not his......The markings were unmistakable: silver hair, blue crescent moon, one red stripe on each cheek, and two furry, white, canine ears. 

It's bloodied body only twitched in silence. The pup sensed the danger. 

Shi'an shook his head once. Liana had not made one sound giving birth. 

If it had not been for the scent of blood and the pup, he would not have known. 

His Lady _hmphed_. "I see." 

She then sighed. "Is she dead?" 

Without taking his eyes off of the scene before him, he replied. "She is weak. The stench of death is upon her. She will draw her last breath soon." 

Her tone hardened. "Take her to the wildflower fields. The trip alone will finish her. Bury her body by the Old Stone. Make sure you make it deep. I do not want her rest to be disturbed. When you have finished the task, come back. I need to feed my pet." 

Shi'an walked over to the bed, sliced the child's life cord then picked up his mate's limp body. 

Liana's head lolled over his forearm as her long, brown hair dangled loosely down his side. 

He did not carry her out the back. Instead, he chose to go out the front door and backtrack around the forest. 

The dog didn't deserve to see his mate in death. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Cold...She shivered in the waking, quiet, cold. 

Dark...everything was dark........No...she needed to open her eyes. 

Pain....so much pain....Her whole body ached in dulled agony. 

Loss....something was missing....... 

What was missing....? 

Liana's jerked her eyes open.....Her Baby! 

Tall sage grass surrounded her. A midmorning mist blurred the wildflowers, turning everything dreamlike. Had she died and gone to the other world? 

No. 

She moved one shaky hand over her sore belly. Only reality gave this much pain: pain of body, agony of spirit, grief of loss: Her baby. 

Wetness leaked down her cheeks. Where was her baby? 

With great effort, she sat up and leaned back. Her back rubbed against something hard: The Great Old Stone. 

This place, her secret place: Why had she been brought here? 

Liana knew she could not stand so she listlessly sat upon the flattened sage, waiting with the grief and pain until her strength returned. 

Midmorning became midday. The sun warmed the shivers away. 

Soon, the crickets began their evening song. 

The wetness of her face cooled as the wind danced across the field. 

She sniffed. An empty hole, the ache for her child, threatened to swallow her heart. 

Regaining some of her senses, she realized something furry warmed her ribs underneath her soiled clothes. 

She reached in, grasping the tuft of fur and pulled it out. A tear fell down her nose as she sucked in a quick breath. It was the piece of fur Sesshomaru had given her. When the pains had started, she had hidden it in the folds of her dress. For a long time she hugged the piece of fluff before stashing it back under her clothes to keep it safe. 

Liana watched the sun set through the trees. The bright beams of light played on the red and gold leaves. 

Heavy footfalls rustled in the grass, coming closer. 

Liana blinked in the dying evening light. 

Fear gripped her heart. 

She froze. 

A shadow loomed above. 

It turned halfway to the retreating sunlight. 

She gasped. 

Shi'an. 

In his hand, dangling and twitching, was her baby. 

He held her child by one ankle, arm stretched out, away from him. 

His features betrayed no emotion except disgust. "I see you have awakened. I did not think would live. But it seems..... I was mistaken." 

Liana chanced a weak plea. "Can I......have my baby?" 

Shi'an's tail swished back and forth in anger. "Why do you want it, mate?" 

She tried to swallow down her terror. "Please.....if you care anything for me at all......please....." 

He turned his back to her. She watched his rigid stance shake slightly as his tail whipped in hard jerks. 

His voice growled low. "Bitch, what makes you think I cared anything for you? Maybe I should take _care_ of this mutt right now." 

Liana could not see what he was doing but she heard her baby yelp once. She began weeping, reaching out to his backside. "Please!.......Shi'an......Please...... I beg you....for my baby's life." 

He stood there silently as she cried. The sun had almost disappeared. Darkness crept through the trees and brush. 

Finally, he turned to her. 

The darkness hid his features but his eyes reflected an icy, yellow luminance. He threw the child at her. 

With what little strength she had left, Liana caught her child and held the baby close to her chest. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes, but she resisted their fall. Shi'an could be cruel. 

His voice rasped out, cold and flat. "Take the child and leave. Do not go to the Western Lands. I will track you. If your trail leads me there, I will kill you and the brat. That damn dog's family will not have you or that.... ...mutt. Find a place near a human village. I don't care where. I will check up on you from time to time; to make sure you stick to our ..... agreement. " 

With that, Shi'an left, prowling into the young night. 

After the sound of his footfalls faded completely, Liana cried hard. 

The infant in her arms came alive and began to root against her bosom. 

Liana smiled down at her baby through choking sobs. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(Fifty years later) 

Senjenko sat high upon his chair, surrounded by his servants. 

The day's business had been taken care of and the evening meal would be served soon. 

He let out a long breath and rested his chin on his knuckles. 

Every day was the same. 

Nothing exciting ever happened. 

He glanced around his stateroom. The polished wood floors reflected the evening sunlight filtering in from the partially curtained windows. His guards stood at their posts several paces away near the double wooden doors. Two of his top servants were close by, heads bowed slightly, waiting for any order he may give them. 

Letting out another breath of boredom, Senjenko laid his head back on his cushioned chair. Maybe the chef would cook something different tonight. 

At that moment, a curt knock directed his attention back to the stateroom doors. 

One of his front gatesmen entered and bowed deeply. "My Lord." 

He straightened his posture, peering down at the young man. "Yes?" 

The gatesman took one step forward. "There is a lady here who wishes an audience with you, My Lord." 

"What are her reasons for this request?" 

The young man's normally steady tone wavered somewhat. "I do not know sire. She did not...give a reason. But... she has a youkai with her......a tall one.....led by a leash and collar." 

With a cautious glance to his guardsmen, he nodded. "Send them in." 

Before the young gatesman slipped out of the double doors, he gestured to the two bulky guardsmen standing at their posts. 

Both complied to the silent order and moved to stand on either side of his chair with their backs against the drapery. 

Moments later, one of the double doors opened. A cloaked figure stepped into the room. 

By the sway of the figure's walk, he guessed it to be the woman. 

Then....he saw an amazing site. Trailing directly behind the cloaked woman was a male youkai, an incredibly tall youkai dressed in a simple traveling kimono. Long Silver hair flashed in the evening sunlight as they passed one of the windows. It flowed freely, nearly touching the floor. Red stripes lined both cheeks and a crescent moon centered beween his silver bangs. His eyes were.... gold....the most unique shade of gold. But they stared blankly at the floor, empty, devoid of anything. 

The woman jerked her hand once in their approach, making the youkai behind her falter a step as she pulled on the leather strap in her hand...... 

Senjenko followed the leather strap in her hand all the way to the demon's neck where the end had been tied to a small ring on an iron choker........ 

A collar? 

This woman led a demon around by a leash? 

The cloaked woman stopped only six paces away from him and nodded once. "Greetings, Lord Senjenko." 

A sweet scent wisped toward him when she stopped. Her voice carried on a sultry wind, soft and alluringly inviting. He allowed a tinge of a smile. "Good evening. May I have the honor on knowing why you have chosen to grace my humble abode with your delicate presence?" 

From what he could see of her fine features beneath the hood, the woman's face showed no motion or expression. "I have come to sell my slave." 

Sitting back some in his chair, he rubbed his chin. "A slave? What makes you think I need a slave? I already have servants and guards. What else do I need?" 

The woman backed up to stand beside the tall youkai. "Kneel." 

Amazingly, the demon complied to her order instantly, falling to his knees. 

Her hand reached out and patted the youkai's silver hair. "You see, he is well trained. He has been in my service for many years now." 

She turned to him once more. "My Lord, Senjenko. In these times of settlement and political strife it would be an asset to have such a powerful demon at your side......as a protector." 

Her words did ring true. Several close land owners were in the process of fortifying their territory and attaining more personal guards. But if he had a demon as his body guard, no one could even get within a league of touching him. 

Senjenko stood up then stepped down, stopping only a pace away from the kneeling demon who stared blankly at he floor. "Is he powerful? What can he do?" 

A smile came to her soft tone. "He has demon speed and strength as well as other tracking abilities: strong sense of smell and hearing." 

He eyed the demon critically. "What if he tries to harm me?" 

The woman pointed to the metal collar around the demon's neck. "This demon has been cursed with a subjugation spell. He cannot harm his owner or owner's blood kin. He is bound to his owner. The magic in the collar will not allow him to leave. The restraint will punish him if he does not obey his owner's command or defys one already given. The restraint answers to the blood of it's owner; he will also answer to all blood relatives. But his owner's commands overrides all others if they contradict. Once you pay for him, you will be his owner." 

He tapped his bottom lip with his forefinger. "Interesting. But what of insolence? I have no methods of discipline that will harm a powerful, full blooded youkai." 

As the woman stepped away from the kneeling demon, she motioned to him. "It would be wise to step away from him, Lord. I will show you how I punish my youkai slave." 

Watching closely, he moved away a few paces. The demon did not move but......he was. ....shaking. 

Her voice rang out clear and firm. "Shimeru." 

The kneeling demon began to tremble. He seemed to be in pain. His claws dug small marks into the varnished wooden floor. For several moments, the youkai shook as he bent forward. His silver hair draped about his body and face. He did not cry out, only grunted. A few moments later, the youkai breathed out a choking breath. Blood fell in small drops below his hunched form. Where it came from he did not know. 

The demon crawled to the woman's feet. He rasped out in a gurgled voice. "Thank you, ......Mistress......for my punishment." 

She smoothed his silver hair but did not look down. "You see, lord Senjenko, if he gives you any problems all you have to do is say the subduing word. It will put him in his place. Only his owner can use this word." 

The woman ordered her slave to stand. "What say you? Do you wish to buy him?" 

Circling the demon, Senjenko inspected closely before stopping in front of him and pointing to the youkai's claws. "I do not like the look of his claws. Can that be fixed?" 

Her light chuckle lit the air. "Certainly." 

Stepping up to her slave, she tapped the back of his hand. "Retract those claws. Only use them when necessary." 

The claws disappeared, replaced by normal blunt nails. 

The woman turned to him. "That is the best I can do. But when you serve his punishment, they will involuntarily come out. The pain invoked is too powerful, he cannot hold the appearance in that instance. Does it meet with your approval, Lord?" 

Senjenko looked up to the tall youkai, blood coated his lips. "How much do you want for him?" 

"Five thousand gold pieces." 

He raised both brows. "That is pricey for a slave. But considering his strength and demon abilities the price seems fair." 

The woman produced a scroll from the folds of her garments. "You will need to pay the gold directly to me by your own hands. This scroll will give you all the information on the restraint and how it works. It also gives all information pertaining to his subjugation and method of sale. His weapons are to remain with him. They should not be touched by anyone else." 

Raising one hand, Senjenko motioned to his servant. "Bring me my bag." 

The servant did as ordered, scurrying off then returning with a leather satchel. 

He handed the heavy leather pouch to the female who accepted it with ease. "Five thousand maybe a little more." 

She handed him the scroll. "The word is written on the parchment. I will take my leave now." 

With that, the cloaked woman bowed once then walked silently out the door. 

His new purchase stood before him, still and deathly quiet. He smirked. "You are now my personal guard." 

"Yes, Master." 

Senjenko's smirk widened. "Master....I like the sound of that." 

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Complete! my first complete fic! Hope you all enjoyed my dark story. About Liana: I couldn't leave her like that. I guess I cared about her character too much to actually have her die. And the baby...that got to me as well. So I gave a little light to my dark story. I was going to make it a mystery but changed my mind. Now for those of you who guessed Liana's true identity. Hats off. Yes, Rin is Liana's reincarnation. Liana and Rin share the same soul. I don't intend to mix the two stories but I may consider a side story or two if anyone asks for it. It will be a spin off of the two once I finish writing Captive Soul which may be about a month or two in the future. Thanks for all who stuck with me through this story. Now I will concentrate all of my efforts on Captive Soul and will be updating about twice a week. Hope all who read were entertained. Ras. ^_^ 

Reveiw responses: 

taskinLUDE: I put a more graphic version on Adult Fanfiction.net because I was afraid Fanfiction would kill my story if it was too graphic. I have heard of many stories being taken off because of this. I wanted to do more with their mating. Now you got to remember Sesshomaru's state of mind. It's almost gone. He was desperate for Liana to give him something that could chase away some of his inner suffering, hence his plea to touch the female who may bolt. Well, readers over Seventeen usually read R fics. But I know that there are some young readers out there who chance upon R fics and read them anyway. I try not to be too graphic on Fanfiction.net. 

Opaaru Tsuki: OMG. chain saw? parrakeets? battery acid? My gosh! sounds frightening. I never intended for Pandora to die or get tortured. But hey, future stories are in my thought processes. Ras. 

Kitty demon: got one flame on adult fanfiction.net said the f word. eeps. 

Jazz-chan: actually Sesshomaru did know she was a virgin. but he didn't know about the tearing part. You and several people were right about the b***h part. I had intended for it to be a mating thing but it did sound kind of degrading so I nixed it. Yes, you and serveral other reviews helped me decide Liana's fate. 

LSR-7: Yep Sesshy was brutally hurt in this story, but i think for a demon like Sess, it had to happen. 

Fluffylover2: Sorry fluffy lover. I do not hate Sessy. I just needed to ensure a humble slave attitude for Captive Soul. The torture and pain had to happen. sorries. By your pen name I am guessing you love Fluffy sama. sorry for the darkness but it had to happen. Yes, Shi'an appeared in three forms in this fic. panther, giant, human like. 

Wakadori Ramen: thanks for the 1000 pointer! Ras. 

MageofDarkness: thanks mage for the plushie. I'll hold on to it when I dream. *sighs* 

Yuki: child, no need to bring out the dog demon form. Heh heh. *sweatdrop* 

So many thank you's to all the other's who reviewed. Hope you all enjoyed the story. Ras.^_^ 

Lady Knightstar 

ChibiBakaKitsune inuficcrzy 

mikomi

Erica 

Queen of Hyper Psychos 

and Tatoosh 


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